Marc Lasry, a billionaire, has taken legal action against Gina Strum, a former employee, accusing her of trying to extort $50 million from him.
Strum, who worked at Avenue Capital Group for about four years, allegedly threatened to spread false information about Lasry and his company unless she received a significant sum of money.
The lawsuit, filed in a New York state court, claims that Strum warned of causing significant harm to both Avenue Capital and Lasry if her demands were not met.
The legal action also involves Sonia Gardner, Lasry's sister and a co-founder of Avenue Capital Group.