Edward Rogers wins control of Canada's largest wireless carrier

Edward Rogers is now in control of Rogers Communication Inc. following a court ruling Friday that settled an acrimonious feud within his family.

At stake was the CAN$30 billion ($24 billion) telecom and media company set up by late founder Ted Rogers to keep the communications giant in the family by naming his wife and three adult children to take control.

Ted Rogers died in 2008.

What Rogers did not anticipate in his obsession to keep the business was that his widow and two daughters would square off in a battle royal for control that pitted them against son Edward Rogers Jr.

The feud came to a head when Rogers Jr attempted to oust CEO Joe Natale, but instead, the board dumped Rogers Jr. as board chairman and retained Natale as CEO.

Rogers Jr also fired five directors and replaced them with ones of his choice and that was reversed.

The move eventually proved successful at an Oct. 21 board meeting when members put Rogers Jr’s head on the chopping block and replaced him with board member John MacDonald.

The company also voted that the removal of the five directors was invalid, according to the Globe and Mail newspaper.

Rogers Jr filed in a Vancouver court last week, seeking approval that he could hire and dismiss board members without a meeting or shareholders' approval.

His mother and sisters attempted to prove Rogers Jr did not have the power to fire the directors.

Friday’s ruling by Justice Shelley Fitzpatrick came down on Rogers Jr’s side.

To get a better idea of what is at stake, all the turmoil occurred as Rogers, Canada’s largest wireless carrier, announced plans to buy Shaw Communications Inc. for CAN$26 billion ($21 billion).

The feud had put that deal in jeopardy, although the takeover still needs approval by three government agencies.