How much is Château Miraval worth, as Brad Pitt accuses Angelina Jolie of a 'hostile takeover' of the winery?

The bitter feud between former husband and wife, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, continues to centre around the family winery, Château Miraval - with the “Fight Club” star accusing his former partner of a “hostile takeover” of the vineyard and the business, with fears of a knock on effect to their celebrated wines.

Originally reported by The Blast, the media outlet obtained legal documents filed by Pitt and his legal team, that allege Jolie and her former investment company, Nouval, “were obligated not to sell interest in a private family home and wine business without (Brad’s) consent,” the filing reads. “They nevertheless did so, secretly, through a purported sale to Tenute del Mondo, an entity controlled by Russian oligarch Yuri Shetler. (The) Defendants have since attempted a hostile takeover of the business.”

However the media outlet also obtained a filing from Jolie, Nouval and their legal team, stating that Pitt’s legal entanglement is merely “...frivolous, malicious and part of a problematic pattern.” In a bid for the case to be thrown out, they have asked judges to consider “Pitt’s allegations that he and Ms. Jolie had a secret, unwritten, unspoken contract for consent right on the sale of their interests in the property [are] directly contrary to the written record.” 

The southern France vineyard has been a point of contention between the couple since Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016, with the pair both contributing to the purchase of ​​Château Miraval in 2008. Jolie’s representatives believe that Pitt “looted” earnings from the winery, spending millions of dollars on vanity projects at the vineyard, including building a recording studio and renovating the swimming pool, according to a lawsuit filed by Jolie's former investment company.

“[He] deals in illusions, not dirt and grapes,” a filing sourced by the Financial times alleges, going further to state that “while he no doubt visited the vineyards to admire the work of the French labourers who actually made the business successful, Pitt is no vigneron.”

How much is Château Miraval worth?

Due to the success of the winery’s Miraval Rosé, which earned the award for “most desirable Provence rosé in the world” by  French outlet Le Figaro Magazine, the current estimated value of the vineyard is said to be $162 million USD - double what the couple paid for it back in 2008.

Miraval has been a success since the Hollywood power couple partnered with the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel to release their first wines in 2013; Sales rose 17.4 percent to just under 150,000 cases in the U.S. in 2020, according to Impact Databank.

Who is the “oligarch” that Angelina Jolie sold her shares in the winery to?

That would be Yuri Shefler, a Russian businessman and entrepreneur best known as the founder of the SPI Group, a global beverage company based in Luxembourg. SPI Group is involved in the production, marketing, and distribution of alcoholic beverages, including vodka, whiskey, and other spirits.

One of the notable brands associated with SPI Group is Stolichnaya (Stoli), a well-known vodka brand; Shefler played a crucial role in acquiring the rights to the Stolichnaya brand outside of Russia in the 1990s. Under his leadership, SPI Group expanded its presence internationally and grew into a significant player in the global spirits industry.

However, Shefler has been designated as an "oligarch" by the United States Treasury Department, a term used to describe wealthy individuals with significant influence and control over large sectors of the economy in Russia - many of which currently have seen their assets frozen since Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine. Which might be a concern for the businessman - his net worth is estimated to be $1.5 billion USD as of 2023.