The children of Formula One icon Sir Stirling Moss are embroiled in a bitter High Court legal dispute over his £20million fortune, highlighting a dramatic family fallout following the death of his third wife.
The Inheritance Dispute Unfolds
Sir Stirling Moss, widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver never to win a world championship, passed away in April 2020 at the age of 90. He left the majority of his substantial estate to his third wife, Lady Susie. However, when Lady Susie herself died in 2023 at age 69, she did not leave a will, creating immediate legal confusion and conflict.
This omission has prompted a fierce legal row between Moss's children from different marriages. According to probate office documents, the total estate was valued at £22.08 million. Before the issue of Lady Susie's missing will, the intended distribution would have seen three quarters of the fortune go to her son, Elliot Moss, 44, with the remaining 25 per cent destined for Allison Bradley, 57, Moss's daughter from his second marriage to Elaine Barbarino.
A Family Divided in Court
The situation has now escalated to the High Court, with Allison Bradley formally taking legal action against her half-brother, Stirling Elliot Moss. The core of the dispute stems from the intestacy rules that now govern the distribution of the fortune following their stepmother's death without a valid will.
Elliot Moss, who previously ran the high-end London restaurant Plu, had claimed he was facing homelessness after initially believing he would only receive a small fraction of his father's wealth. The restaurant closed last year after it was overlooked for a Michelin star.
Following Sir Stirling's death, it was revealed he left several personal gifts to close friends, including his favourite paintings, model cars, and a lucky silver-set rabbit's foot. He also set aside £1,000 for his agent and partner to enjoy a meal at Joe's Stone Crab, a renowned seafood restaurant in Miami.
The Legacy of an F1 Legend
Sir Stirling Moss enjoyed an impressive racing career between 1951 and 1961, during which he won 16 races and secured 24 podium finishes. His career was tragically cut short by a severe crash at Goodwood in 1962. The accident left him in a coma for a month and partially paralysed for six months during his recovery, forcing his retirement from professional racing.
The value and legacy of Moss's racing history were further underscored in February, when a 1955 Mercedes he drove alongside fellow F1 great Juan Manuel Fangio was sold at a Sotheby's auction for a record-breaking £43 million, setting a new world record for a Grand Prix car.
