Benihana heirs want stepmom booted from $50M family trust

June 2024 · 1 minute read

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Her control of the Benihana family fortune should be sliced and diced.

The widow of Rocky Aoki, the founder of the hibachi restaurant chain, has spent years wasting “many millions” of dollars the enigmatic Aoki left for two of his six kids, who now want a Manhattan judge to remove her as head of the trust fund.

Los Angeles model Devon Aoki, 36, and Las Vegas-based DJ Steve Aoki, 42, are set to share $50 million when each turns 45.

The pair have fought their dad’s third wife, Keiko in various courts, accusing her of frittering away money on cheesy gimmicks for a Benihana restaurant in Hawaii and spending nearly $7 million on “reckless” litigation, including legal battles which cost the family control of the Hawaii eatery.

They went to Manhattan Surrogate Court in December, seeking to boot Keiko Aoki as trustee.

“Ultimately, Keiko’s tenure as trustee has been marked by undivided loyalty and fealty to one thing: herself,” the siblings said in court papers.

A lawyer for Keiko Aoki didn’t respond to a message.

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