Updated 9:26 am June 22 with statements from Busch siblings. - The courts have ruled that the sale of Grant’s Farm can go forward. The only question that remains is who will buy it?
The decision was made after a months-long legal battle between Billy Busch, one of the heirs to the Anheuser-Busch fortune, and four of his siblings over who can purchase the farm.
The court ruled Tuesday afternoon that the farm’s trustee, Wells Fargo, has full discretion over how to make the sale and to whom the sale can be made. The court will not provide instructions about how any sale of Grant’s Farm should be made by the controlling trust.
In a statement made later that day, Billy Busch said the ruling was a positive step forward.
"I am pleased with today’s Circuit Court ruling, which moves us closer to our goal of buying and operating Grant’s Farm for the benefit of St. Louis-area families for generations to come," he said.
His siblings agreed.
"We are very pleased with the court’s decision validating our interpretation of our father’s will," they said in a joint statement.
The court also ruled that the group of siblings who intended to make the sale have not violated August A. Busch Jr.’s will, which established the trust. The court stated in its ruling that Wells Fargo is not responsible for its court fees as incurred by the petition for sale, but the remaining siblings are responsible for their own court costs. At the time of this posting neither party could be reached for comment.
