A byproduct of marriage is the merging of the two partners' finances. This is great when the union is strong but can get messy when things are less than ideal. One former Simon & Schuster publishing executive found this out firsthand.
Richard E. Snyder was suing his ex-wife Terresa Liu for allegedly wiping out his bank accounts and stealing his frequent-flier miles. He hoped to recoup $3 million. There was a 30-year age gap between the couple.
Synder and Liu first met in 2004. She was 44 and he was 72. At the time, Liu’s net worth was only $25,000.
Snyder was once worth $43.5 million. He was a giant in the publishing world and is credited with bringing Simon & Schuster to new heights. His biggest claim to fame was acquiring the publishing rights to All the President’s Men.
More from LittleThings: What I’ve Learned About The Next Generation Of Women From The Little Girls In My Life
Snyder and Liu were married for 10 years. Liu filed for divorce in 2018. She received $10 million in the settlement. According to the lawsuit, this was 75% of Snyder’s net worth at the time, which had been significantly reduced.
Even though the couple was divorced on paper, they still maintained a relationship. Snyder claims that Liu kept up “the false hope of a continued relationship.” She also falsely claimed to be helping him through his illnesses.
Instead of helping him, he alleged she helped herself. She took around $3 million. She did not stop there.
“Like The Grinch who left no crumb or morsel behind, she even emptied his frequent flier account of over 300,000 miles days before abruptly abandoning [Snyder],” the lawsuit claims.
Liu left the care of Snyder to his housekeeper. She traveled to Switzerland, Greece, Italy, and England, using his ATM card to fund her adventures. Snyder finally reached out to his son for help.
Snyder’s son Matthew Snyder took over care of his father and came to the shocking realization that his dad was the subject of multiple lawsuits. Liu had allegedly thrown out the paperwork. Richard Snyder had also been fined because of the damaged facade on the townhouse the couple was living in. Matthew Snyder moved his father to Los Angeles to help nurse him back to health.
Richard Snyder died of heart failure on June 6, 2023, in Los Angeles. It is unknown at this time what will happen with his case. Perhaps his children will take up his fight.
