The war of the wealthy Palm Beach Pope family is heading for fresh fireworks with Paul Pope, son of late National Enquirer founder Generoso Pope, making further wild accusations about his mother, Lois Pope, a prominent philanthropist.
In a scandal fit for the tabloid itself, Paul believes he was cheated out of inheriting the Enquirer when his father died of a heart attack in 1988, and now alleges his society-fixture mother “pays dearly to be painted as a philanthropist extraordinaire . . . she is actually a moldy old fraud.”
Paul, 45, claims that after his father died, Generoso’s will — which specified the Enquirer would be left to Paul — disappeared. The Enquirer was sold for $412 million in 1989. He alleges his socialite mother, now 79, owes him up to $1 billion.
He claims Lois is throwing about family money to win favor in Palm Beach society, where she often makes multimillion-dollar donations to charities and is a regular on the gala scene. Paul alleges, “She stole from her children . . . so she can give money to charities in a desperate effort to garner acceptance.”
In a document written by lawyers for Paul, he concludes, “Lois’ debt to me, her son, easily ranges between $200 million-$1 billion.” He goes on to make further wild allegations. He adds, “It is not mathematically possible for her to have reached this level of wealth with her spending, without having stolen from me and my siblings . . . It is time for another dance with the attorneys.”
Lois Pope told Page Six: “This is devastating to me; I am positively distraught. I have tried to help him so many times. He is doing this because he runs out of money and he needs my help again. It’s so abusive. None of this is true. I run a foundation and I try to help people, and he is trying to destroy my name. I feel sorry for him for saying such things about his mother. He wants to blacken my name. I have never stolen from anyone — I give, I never take.”
A source close to Lois added, “She is one of the nicest people in the world. She loves her children. Paul’s endgame is to get lots and lots of money.”
But Paul added, “This isn’t about money, it is about fighting for the truth.”