Chapter 5 - Why Five?
I asked the obvious question.
“Why would Howard choose five?”
Alden answered:
“He didn’t want a newborn’s existence to trigger immediate control changes during what he called ‘the chaos period.’”
Odd.
But not irrational.
Howard’s first draft had used age one.
Then three.
Finally five.
He wanted time for:
Parentage to be legally settled if disputed.
Adoption to finalize if applicable.
A child to survive early medical uncertainty.
The family to establish estate structures.
No boardroom mysticism.
Five was an administrative marker.
Howard also wanted to prevent Eugenia—or Roderick, or anyone else—from using a baby’s shares as immediate leverage during infancy.
So the reserve phase insulated the stake.
On fifth birthday:
Automatic.
No discretionary committee.
No vote.
No one could say:
We don’t like this child.
The trust defined a qualifying child as:
Any biological child or legally adopted child of Roderick Wexler recognized under applicable law.
I looked up.
“Not Howard’s biological grandchild.”
“No.”
“Roderick’s child.”
“Yes.”
“So even if Roderick is not genetically Howard’s…”
“Niles still qualifies.”
“Because?”
“Because Howard defined Roderick as his son for every purpose under the instrument.”
Alden said it too carefully.
I noticed.
“You know something.”
Roderick did too.
“Alden.”
The attorney removed his glasses.
“Howard left a sealed memorandum.”
Eugenia had never seen it.
Roderick had never seen it.
The memorandum was to be opened if:
Roderick’s parentage was formally challenged.
Someone attempted to disqualify Roderick or one of his descendants based on genetics.
Or litigation placed the trust definition at issue.
Yesterday satisfied two triggers.
Alden had brought the envelope.
Roderick stared at it.
“My father knew.”
Alden did not answer yet.
May you like
He slid the sealed memorandum across the table.
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