Edward Rogers Challenges Estate Payments to Tanenbaum, Sparking New Dispute

Rogers Family Dispute Extends to Mother’s Estate

A dispute over the estate of Loretta Anne Rogers, mother of Rogers Communications Inc. Executive chairman Edward Rogers, has escalated into a legal clash involving substantial compensation claims and accusations of delegated duties. The conflict pits Rogers against Larry Tanenbaum, a long-time business partner and co-trustee of the $250-million estate, and highlights ongoing friction within the Rogers family and its business dealings.

According to legal filings reported by The Globe and Mail, Rogers is objecting to the $11 million in total compensation sought by Tanenbaum and the estate’s two other trustees. He further alleges that Tanenbaum “delegated” his responsibilities to his co-trustees, questioning the basis for his share of the compensation. The dispute comes as Rogers Communications prepares to potentially acquire full ownership of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), where Tanenbaum’s Kilmer Sports Inc. Holds a 25-per-cent stake.

The timing of this challenge is particularly noteworthy, given the history of conflict within the Rogers family. In 2021, a highly publicized boardroom battle erupted over the leadership of Rogers Communications, with Loretta Rogers and two of her daughters siding against Edward Rogers. This previous feud, which played out both in the boardroom and in court, underscores a pattern of internal disagreement within the family that now extends to the administration of the matriarch’s estate.

The estate’s trustees, in their report, detailed their administration of Loretta Rogers’s assets between her death in 2022 and the end of 2024. This included numerous real estate holdings, financial assets, and other physical properties. The trustees’ compensation structure consists of two components: a fee of 2.5 per cent applied to all funds entering or exiting the estate, resulting in approximately $10 million in fees, and care and management fees totaling $1.1 million. Rogers’s legal team argues that the 2.5-per-cent fee is “grossly excessive” given the size of the estate and deviates from reasonable standards.

Beyond the overall compensation, Rogers is also contesting specific expenses charged to the estate, including $14.5 million spent on executor liability insurance, which he claims was unnecessary due to indemnification clauses within his mother’s will. He also questions the amount of time logged by the trustees – approximately 2,650 hours over the two-year period – deeming it “excessive” and suggesting a slow pace of disbursements. Rogers has raised concerns about the documentation supporting certain capital disbursements and payments made to law and consulting firms, including $2 million to Aird and Berlis LLP and $565,000 to Baytree Advisors Inc., where trustee Mary Filippelli is employed.

The relationship between Rogers and Tanenbaum has previously been marked by disagreement, particularly concerning their jointly held sports assets. In 2023, Rogers and Bell challenged Tanenbaum’s plan to sell a portion of Kilmer Sports to the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS), a move that would have increased the value of Tanenbaum’s stake in MLSE. This prior conflict suggests a broader pattern of tension between the two businessmen, now extending into the management of Loretta Rogers’s estate.

As of the end of 2024, the estate’s value stood at approximately $120 million, comprising real estate, investments, and cash. Loretta Rogers’s will stipulated that the residue of the estate be divided equally among her four children, although her registered funds are to be distributed only to her three daughters. The precise allocation of assets remains unclear, and the ongoing legal dispute is likely to delay the final settlement of the estate. The case highlights the complexities of estate administration, particularly within families with significant wealth and a history of internal conflict.