Oona Sperr alleges Sid Bass withdrew $50m breakup offer despite penthouse purchase
Oona Sperr alleges that billionaire oil tycoon Sid Bass promised her $50 million when he ended their ten-year relationship in September 2024, then withdrew the offer, saying he had “cash flow issues”. Her lawsuit points to his later purchase of a $30 million Manhattan penthouse as evidence that he could afford to support her. Bass and his wife deny the claims and have asked a judge to dismiss the case, accusing Sperr of greed and vindictiveness.
Sperr’s filing also says Bass proposed annual payments of $5 million for ten years, and alleges he spent lavishly after marrying socialite Althea Irene Viafora Kress. Property records cited in the article show Bass bought a 5,200-square-foot Upper East Side penthouse in March 2025 through a trust, later transferring it into their names. Bass, 84, is estimated to be worth $4.6 billion; the allegations remain disputed in court.
- Sperr says Bass withdrew a promised $50 million payment.
- She cites his $30 million penthouse purchase.
- Bass and his wife seek to have her lawsuit dismissed.
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Oona Sperr is a businesswoman who ended a ten-year relationship with Sid Bass, a billionaire oil tycoon worth an estimated $4.6 billion, in September 2024. She has filed a lawsuit claiming that Bass promised her $50 million as a breakup settlement, then withdrew the offer, saying he faced cash flow problems.
In her lawsuit, Sperr points to Bass's purchase of a $30 million Manhattan penthouse in March 2025 as evidence that he had the financial capacity for the settlement he initially promised. Bass and his wife Althea Viafora Kress deny the allegations.
The dispute also involves a proposed arrangement of $5 million in annual payments over ten years that Bass had offered as part of the settlement discussions. The case remains in the courts as the dispute between the former partners continues to be litigated.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Sperr contends that Bass made explicit financial commitments to her—$50 million or $5 million annually over ten years—as settlement for their decade-long relationship, which he subsequently broke. Her case gains credibility from Bass's purchase of a $30 million penthouse mere months after claiming cash flow difficulties, suggesting his financial constraints were selective and that he possessed ample means to honour commitments made to someone who invested a significant portion of her life with him.
The case against
Bass denies making any binding financial commitment and characterises the allegations as a vindictive attempt to extract an unjustified windfall from a consensual relationship. His position holds that billionaire net worth differs fundamentally from available liquid funds, and that cash flow challenges can be genuine even for the extraordinarily wealthy; the penthouse purchase through trusts and financing arrangements need not contradict his financial position at separation, and he maintains his right to manage his finances and personal life as he chooses without facing coercive legal demands.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Billionaire oil tycoon accused of brutally dumping girlfriend bought a $30m NYC penthouse…while claiming he couldn’t support her because of ‘cash flow,’ lawsuit claims – now he’s calling out her ‘greed’”.