A case revealed by Forbes and flagged by OffshoreAlert implicates one of the hospitality world’s most prominent investors. The Four Seasons Resort Estates owners’ association filed suit on 11 August against Nevis Peak Holdings in the Delaware Chancery Court, seeking potentially more than $100 million in damages.
Nevis Peak is controlled by Cascade, Bill Gates’ investment vehicle, which acquired a stake in the property in 2016. The lawsuit states that Cascade also controls 71.25% of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts group, alongside Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, whose holding company Kingdom owns the remaining 23.75%.
The resort’s operator, which had notably appointed Billy Cueto as general manager of the Four Seasons Resort Nevis in 2022 before he left the post in June 2025, does not appear among the defendants: only the ownership entity is being sued.
The contract binding residents to the resort is based on a $100,000 entry fee per household, supplemented by an annual fee that rises to as much as $13,000. On top of this come management fees: 25% on routine maintenance work and 15% on larger-scale projects. In total, the association estimates that more than $20 million has been paid out since 2013 under these charges.
In return, the plaintiffs describe a resort in a state of neglect: damaged golf equipment, swimming pools partly stripped of their tiling, an ageing or unusable gym, and visible rubbish on the driving range and around the grounds. The electrical network and water supply systems are also said to suffer recurring failures.
The October 2022 fire, which destroyed the golf pro shop and fitness centre, lies at the heart of the grievances. Nearly four years after the blaze, these buildings reportedly still have not been restored to use — a delay the association considers incompatible with the resort’s upmarket positioning.
The owners are first asking the judge to order that the site be restored. Failing that, they are seeking financial compensation calculated in particular on the loss in resale and rental value of their villas, which could exceed $100 million.
Contacted for comment, Cascade Asset Management said it intended to defend itself vigorously, describing the allegations as baseless. The proceedings are still at an early stage, and the court has not yet ruled on the merits of the association’s claims.
The case comes as the Four Seasons group, which is not named in the proceedings, continues its global expansion, with 180 additional properties announced by 2033, including several residential projects on the island of Nevis.
