Who is Taylor Thomson? Billionaire heiress sues ex-best friend after $80M loss in psychic-led crypto scheme

A Canadian heiress from one of the world’s richest families is taking her former best friend to court after a cryptocurrency gamble — recommended by a psychic and later confirmed by an astrologer — went disastrously wrong, wiping out $80 million.

Ashley Richardson (L) and Taylor Thomson (R) are former friends now embroiled in a court battle.

Taylor Thomson, 66, the middle daughter of Canada’s billionaire Thomson family, forged a close friendship with Ashley Richardson, 47, after meeting at a Malibu party in 2009. For over a decade, the pair shared a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles, but their bond shattered in 2022 following the crypto market crash.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Richardson pushed Thomson to invest in Persistence (XPRT), a little-known digital token, after consulting celebrity psychic Michelle Whitedove. The idea was later validated by Thomson’s personal astrologer, Robert Sabella. At its height, Thomson had more than $140 million tied up in the token, with Richardson managing the funds.

When the market collapsed, Thomson accused Richardson of misusing her money by executing hundreds of thousands of speculative trades without approval. Richardson has denied the allegations, insisting she always acted with Thomson’s consent and even put in her own savings.

A loss of $80 million

By mid-2022, amid repeated disputes, Thomson brought in consulting firm Guidepost to investigate. “In the first half of that year, while Richardson had control of Thomson’s digital assets, there were more than 450,000 trades with the billionaire’s funds, many of which she didn’t authorize and were extremely risky,” said Bradley Dizik, president of Guidepost’s technology practice, told The Journal.

Dizik estimated Thomson’s losses at over $80 million tied to Richardson’s management of her assets. A Thomson spokesperson confirmed Guidepost was still working “to recoup the tens of millions of dollars of Ms. Thomson’s money lost under Ms. Richardson’s control.”

Who is Taylor Thomson?

Taylor Thomson, 66, is one of six billionaire heirs of the Thomson family, whose fortune originates from the media and publishing empire founded by her grandfather, Roy Thomson, in the 1930s.

The Thomson family was named Canada’s richest by Maclean’s in 2024, with an estimated net worth of $98.15 billion. Bloomberg also ranked them as the 10th richest family globally. The family’s investment firm, Woodbridge, owns around 70% of Thomson Reuters, including more than 310 million shares.

Before embracing her role in the family empire, Thomson trained at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She acted in Shakespearean productions in Massachusetts and Los Angeles, and appeared in the US TV show Matrix and the Canadian drama Forever Knight.

Taylor Thomson net worth

Taylor herself owns about 14% of the business through Woodbridge. According to Bloomberg’s billionaire index, Taylor Thomson has a personal fortune exceeding $13 billion.

She also owns a number of properties and has invested heavily in artwork and real estate.

Speaking to The Journal, her former friend Richardson said, “We would go somewhere for a few days and she’d be buying houses like other people buy mugs… She had so many properties, so much art, so many things. There was this endless swirl of chaos.”

Tensions with family and staff

Taylor is the only daughter and middle child in the Thomson family. Control of the empire traditionally passed down the male line, leading to tension as she pushed for equal access to family wealth, sometimes straining ties with her brothers.

In 1999, she had a daughter. According to The Journal, Taylor has often been wary of people exploiting her wealth, going so far as to require assistants, friends, and even her daughter’s ex-boyfriend to sign nondisclosure agreements.

During a custody battle, she hired notorious Hollywood private investigator Anthony Pellicano to spy on a former nanny, fearing she was leaking personal information.

She once even accused an employee of embezzling her money and of selling her daughter’s designer dresses, which were later found.