Disowned by his father
J. Howard Marshall II when he sided with the brother of J. Howard's business partner in an attempted hostile takeover of Koch Industries, of which J. Howard was Chairman. He joined his former stepmother
Anna Nicole Smith in her probate action against his brother
E. Pierce Marshall. In March 2001, a jury ruled that neither Smith or Marshall III had an oral agreement with J. Howard, as they claimed, and were not entitled to a share of his estate. It further ordered Marshall III to pay Pierce $35 million.