HK richest woman Nina Wang dead

Nina Wang, seen here in 2002, was known for her exuberant dress sense

Hong Kong's richest woman, Nina Wang, has died from an unspecified illness, her spokesman has said.

Wang, 69, was thrust into the limelight after being accused of forging her late husband's will in order to inherit his fortune.

She later won an eight-year battle to clear her name and give her control of multinational corporation Chinachem.

Wang was Asia's 35th richest person, with a fortune of $4.2bn, according to Forbes magazine.

'Little Sweetie'

Wang first became a household name when her businessman husband Teddy was kidnapped 15 years ago.

He was never seen again and nine years later he was declared dead.

His estate was valued at around $5bn, and his widow and father each presented a very different version of his will.

The one Nina Wang had, which was handwritten, left his fortune to her.

But the elder Mr Wang insisted his was the authentic will which proved that he was the rightful heir. He began a civil case against his daughter-in-law, accusing her of forgery, but in 2005, after an eight-year court battle, she won the fight to clear her name and keep the money.

Each twist and turn of the high-profile court case dominated Hong Kong's front pages and gossip columns.

Wang also attracted attention because of her ponytails and unusual dress sense, and local media nicknamed her "little sweetie".

According to Hong Kong newspapers, she was recently reported to be suffering from cancer, but that was never officially confirmed.

Her spokesman declined to give details of the nature of the illness that killed her.