Casas Bahia founder's R$ 500 million inheritance dispute eases

The family of Moacyr Ramos de Paiva Agustinho Júnior has withdrawn legal actions seeking to recognize him as the son of Samuel Klein, the founder of Casas Bahia. The withdrawal requests have been submitted to the courts in São Caetano do Sul and the Superior Tribunal de Justiça (STJ), pending judicial approval.

This legal dispute had stalled the settlement of Klein’s estate since 2016. A portion of the inheritance, approximately one-eighth, had been held in reserve during the paternity investigation. The 2013 will established a division of approximately R$ 500 million among heirs, but the inventory process, opened in 2015, remained incomplete due to these claims.

Genetic testing provided conflicting results during the proceedings. One report indicated a 25.01% probability of kinship through autosomal markers, while another Y-chromosome comparison between Klein’s son, Saul Klein, and a grandson of Agustinho Júnior suggested they did not share the same paternal lineage.

While the withdrawal may allow the inheritance process to move forward, the estate continues to contest the total valuation of the assets in a separate legal proceeding.