NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Rich Lister's family feud

By Cherie Howie
Herald on Sunday·
2 Aug, 2014 05:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Hugh Green, who built a fortune in roading, property and construction, died in 2012, leaving an estate of $350m. Photo / NZ Herald

Hugh Green, who built a fortune in roading, property and construction, died in 2012, leaving an estate of $350m. Photo / NZ Herald

The daughter of late millionaire philanthropist launches legal action

A High Court stoush is brewing over the fortunes of one of New Zealand's wealthiest families.

The Herald on Sunday has been told that Maryanne Owens, the eldest daughter of late philanthropist Hugh Green, has launched legal proceedings against members of her family.

The Green family were estimated to be worth $400 million in the 2014 Rich List.

A High Court date has been set for later this month and battle lines are being drawn as relatives are being asked to sign affidavits.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Family patriarch Hugh Green, who built a fortune in roading, property and construction, died in 2012 aged 80 leaving an estate of $350m.

Maryanne had been chief executive of the family business, the Hugh Green Group, and headed the Hugh Green Foundation, which was set up to give away about $3m annually.

But Companies Office records show she left the business and the trust in the 12 months before her father died.

An employee of the Hugh Green group of companies, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the legal action related to the children "jockeying for control of things".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Maryanne, lives with her husband, Mark Owens, in Stanmore Bay, in a seaside mansion valued at $1.1m in 2011.

She declined to comment on the stoush, saying: "Thank you for the opportunity but I really don't want to say anything."

A copy of Hugh Green's will shows he left his fortune to the Hugh Green Trust, whose trustees include two of his five children, John and Frances Green, and two lawyers.

John, a horse trainer from Papakura, said: "She's not having a dispute with me. But she's having a dispute with the family, I believe, but I can't comment on that. You'd really need to talk to her."

Discover more

Lifestyle

Peek into lives of super rich

10 Aug 01:47 AM
New Zealand

Rich lister's family row

16 Aug 05:00 PM

Frances, from Mt Albert, was on holiday in Melbourne and declined to comment.

Another brother, Gerard Green, said Maryanne was disputing the will through the courts, and affidavits had been filed.

"It's pretty sad, you know. It will just go through it's course, through the courts."

Solicitor Bob Narev, one of the executors of the estate, said a hearing would take place in the Auckland High Court this month. He said he couldn't talk about what was going on as "the case is before the court".

Despite the family's wealth, most of the children live relatively modestly.

Charities Register records show Maryanne Green ceased being a director of the trust in August 2011. John and Frances are trustees, along with family lawyer Bob Narev and barrister Michael Fisher. The trust donates up to $3m a year to medical and disabled charities.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Hugh Green, who was survived by widow Moira and five children, appointed two of his children, John and Frances as executors of the will signed just months before he died, and wanted his fortune to be paid into his charitable trust.

Maryanne and husband Mark Owen's adopted son John Chambers was killed in 2010.

The Hugh Green Trust has given millions of dollars to charity since it was formed in 1998.

Salvation Army public relations director Shane Chisholm said the organisation had been the recipient of donations from the Hugh Green Foundation for a number of years.

The unsolicited donations had contributed towards a life skills programme in South Auckland. additional reporting by Matthew Theunissen

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Business

Premium
Business|economy

18,800 people booked for NZICC in 2026; anaesthetists, ophthalmologists the latest

03 Jul 10:39 PM
Premium
Media InsiderUpdated

Stop the presses: Stuff closing about 15 Auckland, regional community newspapers

03 Jul 10:37 PM
Airlines

Qantas cyberattack: Airline says scammers active but systems secure

03 Jul 09:31 PM

Audi offers a sporty spin on city driving with the A3 Sportback and S3 Sportback

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Business

Premium
18,800 people booked for NZICC in 2026; anaesthetists, ophthalmologists the latest

18,800 people booked for NZICC in 2026; anaesthetists, ophthalmologists the latest

03 Jul 10:39 PM

Anaesthetists to meet April 30-May 5, ophthalmologists November 5-9 next year.

Premium
Stop the presses: Stuff closing about 15 Auckland, regional community newspapers

Stop the presses: Stuff closing about 15 Auckland, regional community newspapers

03 Jul 10:37 PM
Qantas cyberattack: Airline says scammers active but systems secure

Qantas cyberattack: Airline says scammers active but systems secure

03 Jul 09:31 PM
Premium
Record highs for US markets: What it means for KiwiSaver investors

Record highs for US markets: What it means for KiwiSaver investors

03 Jul 09:00 PM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP