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Inside Billionaire Michael Fisch’s Epic Divorce Battle From Wife Laura

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Hedge fund billionaire Michael Fisch is divorcing his wife Laura – and the pair are fighting over three homes on the same posh Hamptons street for a total of nearly $100million.

Fisch, the founder of New York-based American Securities with $45 billion in sales, and former model Laura Roberson-Fisch were married for 33 years without a prenup, sources say .

At stake are three stunning homes on Further Lane in East Hampton, known as “billionaire’s row”, as well as a top-notch art collection estimated at over $500 million.

The Hamptons’ first house was purchased for $25.7 million in 2007. They bought the house next door for $28 million in 2012 and the third house in 2013 for $32.5 million.

They also have a sprawling Fifth Avenue apartment bought in 2019 for $21 million, and an Upper East Side townhouse they bought in 1994 next door to Woody Allen, whom Fisch had a falling out with. .

An aerial view of one of their estates in Southampton.
The biggest battle for the couple, we are told, will be over their three Hamptons mansions.
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A photo of the gate of one of their houses.
The couple bought several houses on the same street dubbed ‘billionaires’ row’ in Southampton.
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A covered shot of another of their houses from the street.
The homes were purchased between the early 2010s and late 2010s.
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Michael, 60, and Laura, 67, have four adult children, but surprisingly, no prenup.

A source said: “He is worth at least $10 billion, he made all the money during their marriage and there is no prenup. This could easily end in a multi-billion dollar settlement. .

“This is a huge divorce with a lot at stake – three houses in the Hamptons ‘billionaire row’, a huge townhouse in Manhattan and an incredible art collection. They are particularly fighting over the properties of the Hamptons.

Fisch is represented in the divorce by Marilyn B. Chinitz in Blank Rome. She declined to comment.

The facade of one of their townhouses in Manhattan.
The couple also own two apartments in New York.

The facade of one of their townhouses in Manhattan.
One of them had a fight with Woody Allen over renovations.

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His wife, patron, philanthropist and daughter of wealthy Seattle developer Fred Roberson, is represented by Jonathan W. Wolfe and Michael A. Mosberg.

Attorney attorney William D. Zabel joined his team in January, according to a notice of appearance filed with the New York Supreme Court. The three attorneys did not return requests for comment.

in 2000, Fisch and his wife got into trouble with famous neighbors Allen and gourmet food store guru Eli Zabar on 92nd Street over plans to expand their townhouse.

It was reported that they joined other property owners on the south side of the block in hiring a lawyer and fighting the Fisches’ proposal before the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Michael Fisch - wearing a black suit and blue tie - speaks during a Bloomberg Television interview in New York on Tuesday, August 2, 2016.
Fisch is President and Chief Executive Officer of American Securities LLC.
Bloomberg via Getty Images

The couple were looking to expand their four-story townhouse, built in 1888, one story, 10 feet to the rear and 17.5 feet underground.

Opponents argued that such an expansion would block light and breezes, destroy backyard views, and harm trees and plants.

They also claimed that the construction, which requires digging seventeen feet underground, would destroy the peace, tranquility and natural beauty of the interconnected gardens shared by the Allens, Zabars, Fischs and several other families.

“We all got together and offered to buy the house at fair market value,” Allen said at the time. “We thought maybe they just picked the wrong house for what they wanted.”

Laura Fisch in a white and black patterned dress poses with two friends at the High Line Spring Benefit 2016 on May 23, 2016 in New York City.
Laura, pictured here with two friends at a gala in 2016, is a familiar figure on New York’s social and artistic circuit.
Patrick McMullan via Getty Image

Laura Fisch wears a white floral hat and white outfit as she sits with two friends at the
She is the daughter of wealthy Seattle developer Fred Roberson.
Laura Roberson Fisch/Facebook

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But, “He was insulted,” Ross Moskowitz, attorney for Michael Fisch replied to Allen, “He has lived in Carnegie Hill for about 20 years. He and his family have been stellar members of the community. They were outraged at the arrogance of assuming they would leave the neighborhood.

The Fisches did not leave, and the landmarks commission awarded them a partial victory, granting them a two-story backyard extension rather than the five-story addition they wanted.

Prior to founding American Securities, Fisch, an avid Ironman competitor, was a consultant in the Paris office of Bain & Company and worked in the mergers and acquisitions division of Goldman Sachs.

A black and white photo of Laura and Michael Fisch, seated together at a table, at the start of their marriage.
The couple both pleaded for their successful divorce.
Laura Roberson Fisch/Facebook

He is a trustee of Princeton Theological Seminary and chairman of their investment committee. He is also Vice Chairman and Treasurer of Human Rights Watch and a visiting lecturer at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

His company was hit by controversy in 2020 when American Securities GTL “came under intense scrutiny for exorbitant prison phone and video call rates, displaying legal protections, allegedly bribes and growing regulatory risk,” according to the Private Equity Stakeholder Project.

He added that GTL, owned by American Securities since 2011, is the nation’s largest provider of correctional phone systems, video calling systems, and financial and electronic equipment for inmates, serving approximately 1.8 million people, or nearly 80% of the US correctional population.

The allegations included increased costs for prisoners to stay in touch with family and the allegedly inappropriate recording of thousands of privileged attorney-client phone calls in Orange County, California, between 2015 and 2018.

Former model Laura Roberson-Fisch wears black with her hair tied back posing in front of a mirror in one of her many homes.
We’re told their top-notch art collection, estimated at over $500 million, is also up for grabs in the divorce.
Laura Roberson Fisch/Facebook

In January 2019, GTL was fined after Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood announced that he had recovered more than $2.5 million from the company, which was accused
of funneling bribes and kickbacks to a Mississippi Department of Corrections commissioner.

In January 2022, GTL rebranded itself as ViaPath Technologies, saying it worked to reduce call rates and provide free communication options to incarcerated people. Then, late last year, the government passed a bill that would allow the FCC to crack down on predatory prison calling companies.

Representatives for American Securities and ViaPath Technologies declined to comment.


Joanna Swanson

Joanna Swanson is Europe correspondent at the Thomson Reuters Foundation based in Brussels covering politics, culture, business, climate change, society, economies and inclusive tech. With specific focus in breaking news, she has covered some of the world's most significant stories.