Who runs Mondo Bongo? Brad Pitt suffers major blow in suit against Angelina Jolie over French winery
Angelina Jolie has secured a major win in her battle against her ex-husband Brad Pitt over the Chateau Miraval winery — a 1,000-acre vineyard in the South of France. Jolie and Pitt purchased a controlling stake in Château Miraval in 2008 and got married there in 2014. Despite divorcing, the two had continued to work together at Miraval, a wine label made from grapes grown on the site and noted for its rosé.
However, Jolie sold her stake in Chateau Miraval in October 2021 to Tenute del Mondo, the wine division of the Stoli Group, which is indirectly owned and controlled by Yuri Shefler, the Russian oligarch who runs the Stoli Group and whose flagship vodka, Stolichnaya, has come under criticism during that nation's invasion of Ukraine. Pitt described it as a “hostile third-party competitor bent on taking control of Miraval", in the court documents he filed last month on June 3, at Los Angeles County Superior Court. Pitt added that he believes Jolie intentionally “sought to inflict harm on him" by selling her interests in their company. In February this year, Pitt filed a lawsuit against Jolie for selling half of the stake.
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Jolie's team recently sought documents from Pitt, his business manager, and his company, Mondo Bongo. Pitt's legal team has fought valiantly to have the court exclude the documents and communications from its case. However, on Friday, July 22, a judge in Los Angeles in a blow to the actor, ruled that Pitt and his partners must hand them over Jolie's team lawyers and they must not wait until when they appeal the decision. Sources close to Jolie's business operation told Page Six that Pitt’s is furious and is his letting his personal life dictate business matters.
“Any rational human being would be happy for Stoli to [be a partner in their business. They have top-notch marketing and distribution,” they said, explaining that the firm offers huge opportunities to grow the business. “He just can’t see past his hatred of Jolie.”
Who runs Mondo Bongo?
Pitt and Jolie originally purchased shares in Qimicum in 2008. Quimicum is the company that controls Chateau Miraval. At that time, Pitt held 60% of the company and named it Mondo Bongo while Jolie held 40% and named it Nouvel. And, in 2013, according to the court documents, Pitt agreed to have Mondo Bongo transfer some of its shares to Nouvel 2013 in order to even their stakes with an agreement that neither would sell their business interests in Miraval without the other party’s consent.
A source close to Pitt said told Page Six on Friday, July 22 that the actor wants to reinvest the profits and selling a portion of the company for better distribution is something that he could not allow considering his future plans. Furthermore, the source stated that "the best way for [their children] to retain value is for the parents to retain full ownership of this increasingly valuable and expanding asset."