Ho family jewels divided, but how long will the peace hold?

Details have emerged of this week's private settlement agreement that ended months of family feuding over control of casino magnate Stanley Ho Hung-sun's business empire, though some observers wonder how long the truce will hold.

Ownership of Lanceford, the private holding company that controls Ho's indirect stake in Macau casino operator SJM Holdings, will remain largely unchanged, according to a person familiar with the terms of the settlement.

Ho's fourth wife, Angela Leong On-kei - a director of casino operator SJM Holdings and managing director of its Macau subsidiary, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau - will continue to be responsible for management of the gaming business for another six years, according to this person.

Ownership of Ho's mansion at 1 Repulse Bay Road was transferred to Angela Ho Chiu-yin, Ho's daughter with his first wife, the late Clementina De Mello Leitao, on March 8, according to Land Registry filings.

'All members of the Ho family have reached full and final agreement based on the principle of 'mutual understanding and mutual accommodation',' said a statement released late on Thursday and signed by Stanley Ho on behalf of 'all members of the Ho family'.

Lanceford was the focus of a contested December share transfer that handed control of the casino stake to Ho's third wife, Ina Chan Un Chan, and his second wife Lucina Laam King-ying's five children: Pansy Ho Chiu-king, Daisy Ho Chiu-fung, Maisy Ho Chiu-ha, Josie Ho Chiu-yee and Lawrence Ho Yau-lung.