Hinduja patriarch's death brings $14 bn feud to light

Question over who will assume SP Hinduja's role may crack open divisions

For decades, Srichand Hinduja served as the patriarch of a sprawling business empire behind one of the world's biggest family fortunes with origins dating back more than a century.

His death at age 87 raises questions over who'll assume his role as de-facto head of the dynasty, whose legal battles in recent years over control of investments spanning banking, media and energy still threaten to tear apart the once tight-knit group.

Gopichand Hinduja, 83, is the BritishIndian clan's oldest member following Srichand's death Wednesday in London. He and his two younger brothers-Prakash, 77, and Ashok, 72 - fought over the past three years with the patriarch and his daughter, Vinoo, over a letter signed by the four siblings that said assets held by one of them belonged to all.

While the family called a truce on the bitter power struggle in November, it emerged last month they're still privately haggling on related issues.

The clan, which spans at least four generations, has a collective fortune of about $14 billion, putting it among Asia's 20 richest dynasties, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.