Toy tycoon's son disputes half-brother's claim to £14.5m family fortune

The son of a millionaire toy maker has re-launched his bid to remove his illegitimate half-brother from the £14.5m family fortune. Stuart Marcus started selling dolls' houses from a small east London toy shop in the 1960s, building a multi-million pound games empire. Before his death, he put £14.5m worth of company shares into trust for his 'children': brothers Edward, 47, and Jonathan, 43. However, it was revealed that Edward was not Stuart's son, but the product of an affair between his mother, Patricia Marcus, and lawyer Sydney Glossop.

Last year, a judge ruled that Stuart was not Edward's father, but both brothers were meant to share the £14.5m fortune. Despite knowing he was not Stuart's son, Edward worked in the company alongside Jonathan for over a decade without revealing the truth. The family trust holds shares valued at £14.5m in the family companies where both brothers worked as the brand expanded into other fields.

Since 2016, relations between the brothers soured, leading to a High Court clash where Jonathan sought to exclude Edward from the trust. Jonathan claimed Edward was the result of a one-night stand between his mother and a lawyer named Sydney Glossop. DNA evidence confirmed Edward is not Stuart's son, but the trust still includes him as a beneficiary.

Jonathan has appealed the ruling, arguing that 'children' in the trust document should mean 'biological children' and exclude Edward. On the other hand, Edward's representative insisted that Stuart intended to benefit Edward, regardless of biological relation. The High Court judge reserved judgment on Jonathan's appeal.