The heiress to the L'Oreal fortune has been put under the care of her family after a French judge ruled he was concerned with her declining mental health, reports the BBC.
Lilliane Bettencourt now sees her €16 billion ($20 billion) fortune placed in the hands of her daughter, Francoise Bettencourt-Meyers who has long argued that her mother is unfit to manage the money.
Bettencourt-Meyers believes that her mother, who turns 89-years-old this week, has been manipulated by members of her "entourage." The Wall Street Journal reports that a separate legal investigation is under way to investigate if this was the case.
It is also possible that Bettencourt donated funds illegally to Nicolas Sarkozy's presidential campaign in 2007, another issue that is still being investigated.
The court ruled that Bettencourt was suffering from dementia and moderate Alzheimer's disease. In addition to being placed under the care of her daughter, the heiress will also be looked after by her grandchildren.
Bettencourt and her children were estranged for many years. Her lawyer plans to appeal the decision.
