Exclusive | Iranian heiresss sneaky tactic to shield millions from husband in bitter $200M divorce battle
An Iranian heiress locked in a nasty $200 million divorce battle with her doctor husband sneakily signed away control of her company so he couldn’t claim any cash from the business, new court documents allege.Setareh “Star” Bral — the daughter of a late real-estate mogul believed to have had ties to the last Shah of Iran — relinquished control of Star Pacific Properties shortly after she separated from UCLA Dr.Ryan Aronin, according to documents obtained by The California Post. Aronin claimed that the property management company, which is estimated to be worth $15 million, is now controlled by Bral’s brother, Sean Bral.
“Setareh took deliberate actions to reduce her income on paper and restrict her access to funds,” the documents said, pointing out that her brother allegedly “does not have an ownership interest” in the company.The document passing control of the business from sister to brother is dated October 15, 2024.Aronin has claimed the couple separated in March 2022, while Bral said they split in April 2024. Star Pacific owns and operates two commercial buildings in the Los Angeles area, with tenants that have included big brands such as Starbucks, Panda Express and 7-Eleven, records show.
The businesses have generated hundreds of thousands in revenue a year.Aronin dropped the bombshell update in a motion asking that the couple’s divorce proceedings continue as scheduled and not be delayed until September, per Bral’s request. The divorce has centered around the Bral clan’s SYB Family trust, which is estimated to be worth $200 million.It was established by her father, who fled Iran shortly after Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was deposed by the Islamic Revolution on Feb.
11, 1979, and came to Los Angeles to build a vast empire. Aronin claims in court documents that Setareh gave up access to the trust to hide her income and avoid having to pay him any money in the divorce.“She willingly abdicated responsibility to administer the SYB Fam...