Ondo's inheritance crisis escalates, founder's mother accused by daughter of dementia and alcoholism

Nathan Allman, the founder of Ondo Finance, suddenly passed away in May this year at the age of 32 without leaving a will. His parents, Kathleen Allman and Lawrence Allman, inherited the estate, including a controlling stake in Ondo and a large number of ONDO tokens. Subsequently, Kathleen Allman sued acting CEO Ian De Bode, accusing him of attempting to seize control of the company and arranging a compensation package of approximately $11 million for himself.

Now, this inheritance crisis has escalated further. Nathan's half-sister, Lani Clinton, a medical professor at Duke University, along with Ondo investor David Chen, has applied to the Hawaii court for limited oversight of Kathleen Allman's share of the estate, accusing her of having a long-term alcohol use disorder and progressive cognitive impairment, as well as engaging in extravagant behavior. Documents show that Kathleen had purchased a yacht worth about $4 million, requested the company to cover six-figure charter costs, and stayed at hotels costing about $4,000 per night. Her son also purchased a $18.5 million beachfront residence for his parents in June 2025.

Kathleen Allman, through her lawyer, denied the above allegations, stating they are unfounded, and claimed that the application was made by associates of De Bode, representing a last-ditch effort after his attempt to seize power in the Delaware Chancery Court failed. Ondo Finance declined to comment.