Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty
The global kingpin of mozzarella cheese fended off a lawsuit from two of his nieces— seeking nearly $1 billion in damages—after a jury decided that James Leprino and other major shareholders had not financially “oppressed” them as alleged.
The decision, handed down on Friday, put to rest a two-year battle that cast a rare spotlight on the reclusive billionaire whose namesake company sells cheese to fast-food giants like Papa John’s and Domino’s.
In the original complaint, filed in Denver District Court in July 2020, Mary and Nancy Leprino alleged that their uncle, his daughters, and his son-in-law had operated the company “for their own financial reward while depriving the minority shareholders of their legal rights and financial interests.”