Ken Talbot’s widow loses legal fight over his will with executor

Mining mogul Ken Talbot’s widow has lost her massive lawsuit against the administrator of his $1.1 billion estate, alleging he negligently failed to sell assets promptly following his appointment in 2012.

• The tragic legacy of billionaire Ken Talbot

Mining mogul Ken Talbot’s widow has lost her massive lawsuit against the administrator of his estate, alleging he negligently failed to sell assets promptly following his appointment in 2012.

In the Brisbane Supreme Court this afternoon, Justice David Boddice ordered that Amanda Talbot’s claim be dismissed, following a three-week hearing in June last year.

Justice Boddice has published his reasons for the decision but they are yet to be publicly available.

Mrs Talbot, from Teneriffe, was not in court for the decision, but estate administrator, lawyer Bill Boyd was present, along with a phalanx of top silks to hear the decision at 4pm today.

“The plaintiffs claim is dismissed, as a consequence the third party proceedings are also dismissed,” Justice Boddice said.

Mining mogul Ken Talbot died in a plane crash in 2010.

Talbot died in a plane crash in the Republic of Congo on June 19, 2010, two months before his trial on charges of making corrupt payments to Queensland Minister Gordon Nuttall was due to start in a Brisbane court.

When Mr Talbot died his estate was worth an estimated $1.1 billion, and his daughters with Amanda Talbot, Claudia and Alexandra were living between their apartment on Avenue Hoche in Paris, near the Arc de Triomphe, and Villa Calvi, in the town of Belvio on Lake Como in Italy and were being homeschooled.

Mrs Talbot was married to Ken for 15 years.

Talbot made his fortune in coal mining, founding Macarthur Coal which was worth $3.1 billion at the time of his death.

Amanda Talbot leaving the Supreme Court in Brisbane in 2022. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

He left 30 per cent of his wealth to a charitable foundation, and his two older children from a previous marriage, Liam and Courtney, each received 24 per cent, with the remainder divided between Mrs Talbot and her two kids.

After his death the value of many of Ken Talbots shares in small mining companies fell.

The parties have until February 10 to file submissions about legal costs.