Taiwanese billionaire Chang Yung-fa, the founder of the Evergreen shipping and aviation empire, left behind a fortune estimated at more than $3 billion when he died in 2016.
asserted
he → leave → 2016
Nearly a decade later, his estate remains at the centre of a legal dispute involving his family and a charitable foundation he established.
asserted
he → remain → family
The Chang Yung-fa Foundation is now seeking money from the estate, arguing that the late businessman had promised to leave his wealth to charitable causes.
asserted
businessman → seek → causes
Its claim has reopened a long-running inheritance battle despite a court ruling that upheld his will.
uncertain
that → reopen → will
According to Crain Currency, the Chang Yung-fa Foundation announced that it would seek a share of the late billionaire’s estate after learning that some assets had been transferred into a joint account held by the executors of his will.
uncertain
assets → accord → will
The foundation believes Chang had intended his remaining wealth to support charitable work rather than pass entirely to individual family members.
asserted
wealth → believe → members
It has therefore taken legal action against the people responsible for administering his estate, arguing that his earlier promises to donate his money should be honoured.
asserted
promises → take → money
The renewed dispute is significant because the courts had already addressed a major part of the family’s inheritance battle.
asserted
courts → renew → battle
The latest case concerns whether Chang’s statements about donating his wealth created a separate legal obligation that must be fulfilled, even though his will named a sole beneficiary.
asserted
will → concern → beneficiary
How did the original inheritance battle begin
Chang, who died in January 2016, built Evergreen into a major shipping and aviation business.
asserted
who → begin → business
His business interests and substantial personal wealth eventually became the subject of a bitter dispute among his children after the terms of his will became known.
asserted
terms → become → will
According to TaiwanNews, Chang signed a sealed will in 2014 that designated his youngest son from his second marriage, Chang Kuo-wei, as the sole inheritor of his personal assets.
uncertain
that → accord → assets
The will covered savings, shares and real estate valued at approximately NT$14 billion, equivalent to around $433 million at the time of the report.
asserted
will → cover → report
The document also indicated that Chang Kuo-wei would succeed his father as chairman.
asserted
wei → indicate → chairman
However, the decision angered other members of the family, particularly Chang Kuo-cheng, the third son from Chang’s first marriage, who challenged the will in court.
asserted
who → anger → court
The disagreement extended beyond the distribution of personal wealth and affected relationships within the wider business family.
asserted
disagreement → extend → family
Tensions also surrounded the leadership of Evergreen’s aviation interests, with disagreements among the brothers contributing to changes in the group’s corporate leadership.
asserted
disagreements → surround → leadership
The courts upheld the will after years of litigation
The legal challenge against Chang’s will continued for several years.
asserted
challenge → uphold → years
According to Taiwan News, Chang Kuo-cheng argued that his father had not been in an appropriate condition to make the will and questioned whether the document had been properly signed and witnessed.
uncertain
document → accord → will
The initial court decision favoured Chang Kuo-wei.
asserted
decision → favour → wei
Subsequent appeals also failed to overturn the ruling, and Taiwan’s Supreme Court dismissed the challenge on 14 August 2024.
asserted
Court → fail → August
That decision confirmed the legal validity of the will and brought the principal dispute over its authenticity to an end.
asserted
decision → confirm → end
However, it did not necessarily resolve every issue surrounding the administration and distribution of the estate.
asserted
it → resolve → estate
Its claim is based not simply on who was named in the will but on whether Chang had separately committed himself to donating money to the foundation after his death.
uncertain
Chang → base → death
What evidence does the foundation cite for Chang’s charitable intentions
The foundation maintains that Chang repeatedly expressed his intention to leave his remaining wealth to charitable causes.
asserted
Chang → cite → causes
According to Caproasia’s report of May 2026, the organisation believes his statements reflected a genuine commitment to supporting people in need.
uncertain
statements → accord → need
One important piece of evidence is Chang’s 2012 oral autobiography, titled Iron Will and a Gentle Heart: 33 Attitudes to Life.
asserted
piece → title → Life
The foundation has pointed to passages in the book in which he discussed donating his remaining money to the organisation.
asserted
he → point → organisation
The foundation has also referred to his public statements and recorded remarks.
asserted
foundation → refer → statements
In its view, these were not merely general expressions of support for charity but evidence of a promise concerning what should happen to his wealth after his death.
asserted
what → concern → death
The legal question is whether those statements established an enforceable agreement to make a gift upon death.
asserted
statements → establish → death
Such an arrangement would need to be distinguished from the instructions contained in the formal will, which had already been upheld by the courts.
asserted
which → need → courts
The foundation argues that Chang’s charitable intentions should be respected.
asserted
intentions → argue → ?
The opposing side disputes whether his statements created a legally binding obligation.
asserted
statements → oppose → obligation
The latest lawsuit puts the estate’s administration under scrutiny
asserted
lawsuit → put → scrutiny
The foundation initially brought its case against the four executors responsible for administering Chang’s will.
asserted
foundation → bring → will
It is seeking NT$1 billion, or approximately $30 million, rather than simply asking the court to reconsider the entire inheritance arrangement.
asserted
It → seek → arrangement
According to Crain Currency, the foundation’s decision to pursue the claim followed its discovery that part of Chang’s estate had entered the executors’ joint account.
uncertain
part → accord → account
The movement of those assets prompted the organisation to seek legal recognition of what it considers Chang’s outstanding charitable commitment.
asserted
it → prompt → recognition
The case also raises questions about the responsibilities of the executors.
asserted
case → raise → executors
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
