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Founder’s Estate Seeks to Oust Ondo CEO and Asks Delaware Court to Decide Control

The estate has asked the Delaware Court of Chancery to freeze major corporate moves on the grounds that disputed voting authority could disrupt contracts, spending and regulatory work.

Overview

  • Nathan Allman died in late May and the company named longtime president Ian De Bode as CEO on June 1; a Hawaii probate court on June 26 appointed Kathleen Allman as personal representative of his estate and gave the estate authority over his voting power.
  • Using that voting authority, Kathleen Allman expanded Ondo’s board and at a July 24 meeting voted to remove De Bode and appoint herself interim chair and CEO, actions the estate says were needed to stabilize governance.
  • The estate filed three actions in the Delaware Court of Chancery asking a judge to declare which party lawfully controls Ondo and to bar extraordinary corporate actions while the dispute is resolved, and it has asked for an expedited ruling.
  • De Bode rejects the estate’s claims as “meritless,” continues to appear as Ondo’s public CEO and says the company retains backing from lead investors and the Ondo Foundation, a position that has not yet been tested in court.
  • The court’s decision will determine who can lawfully approve contracts, equity issuances and regulatory steps for Ondo, a prominent tokenized real‑world asset issuer, and observers say the outcome could affect investors, employees and ongoing SEC-facing work.