EXCLUSIVE: Battle for Jimmy Buffett's Millions — How Music Mogul's Widow Wants Full Control of $275M Estate
Jimmy Buffett's estate battle has exploded as widow seeks full control of $275million fortune amid dispute.
March 31 2026, Published 7:30 a.m. ET
Late pop culture icon Jimmy Buffett is fueling a bitter court war, as wife Jane Buffett fights to upend his alleged final wishes and take full control of his $275million estate, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
After suing co-trustee Richard Mozenter last summer, Jimmy's hell-bent widow has now appealed a judge's decision to allow her nemesis to use trust funds to cover his legal bills in their ongoing battle.
Buffett Widow Slams Adviser in Court
Jane Buffett is seeking to remove Richard Mozenter as co-trustee of Jimmy Buffett's $275million estate.
Before succumbing to a rare type of skin cancer in September 2023, the Margaritaville mogul gave his spouse of 46 years and his longtime financial adviser, shared control over his vast fortune – but she wants Mozenter removed after claiming he failed to "act responsibly and perform his duties," court documents state.
According to Jane's team, Mozenter was asked to resign prior to the legal fight erupting.
Instead, he reportedly filed his own petition seeking to remove Jane as a co-trustee of the estate.
The financial adviser's lawsuit claims that Jimmy wasn't confident in his wife's "ability to manage and control his assets," and that's why he was brought on as an executor.
But Jane claims Mozenter's the incompetent one, mismanaging Jimmy's massive assets.
Adding insult to injury, she says Mozenter allegedly acted "unprofessional and combative" toward her.
"Mr. Mozenter has belittled, disrespected and condescended to Mrs. Buffett in response to her reasonable requests for information," the widow's initial filing claimed.
Trust Battle Turns Financially Explosive
Mozenter claimed Jimmy questioned Jane's ability to manage his assets in court filings.
She alleged Mozenter told her the $275million trust would not cover her annual expenses – and she should consider selling off personal real estate and changing her lifestyle.
Since their court battle first began, a flurry of legal motions have been filed by both parties, with Jane alleging Mozenter has already drained $2million from the trust to pay his legal fees.
Widow Fights Ruling Over Trust Funds
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A judge allowed Mozenter to use trust funds for legal fees, prompting Jane to file an appeal.
On Feb. 19 – one day after a judge sided with Mozenter about the trust funding his courthouse campaign, citing Florida law – Mrs. Buffett asked to stay the ruling so she could pursue an appeal.
"Every dollar Mr. Mozenter spends on his litigation against Jane is a dollar taken from the Trust Jimmy established to support her," her motion declared. "The Trust may never be able to recover this money."
