Serene Warren, 58, has secured a minor legal victory in the protracted and acrimonious battle for her family's fortune. The dispute, which erupted in 2018 when Warren sued her relatives for $228 million in damages, fractured the Evenstad clan in the years leading up to her father, pharmaceutical tycoon Ken Evenstad's, death.
Warren's legal challenge stemmed from her dissatisfaction with her inheritance. She claimed her share of the family's wealth, estimated to be $283 million, was insufficient. The lawsuit alleged that her father and brother devalued her 25 percent stake in the family pharmaceuticals corporation, Upsher-Smith.
Ken Evenstad, who made his fortune after acquiring the then-struggling pharma firm Upsher-Smith for $1,500 in 1969, died estranged from his only daughter. Under the leadership of his son, Mark Evenstad, who became CEO of Upsher-Smith in 2003, the company was valued at $1.1 billion.
The legal battle has been marked by deep familial rifts. Court documents previously indicated that the Evenstad couple had bankrolled their daughter's lifestyle, only for her to initiate legal action over her perceived share of the business. Warren herself owns a lakeside home valued at $3 million on Lake Minnetonka.
Domaine Serene, an acclaimed Oregon vineyard founded in 1989 and known as one of the top pinot noir producers in the United States, was also associated with the family. The vineyard was a site of significant moments for the family, including events with Ken Evenstad and his wife Grace. Images from the vineyard depict a past where father and daughter shared wine, a stark contrast to the current legal conflict that has divided the family.
Despite the ongoing legal proceedings and the deep divisions within the family, Warren's recent legal win represents a small but significant step in her pursuit of a larger share of the Evenstad fortune.