The estate of a Brazilian Jewish tycoon is being fought over by his mother and wife after he was declared dead by a judge last Thursday.

Oil and gas tycoon Guma Aguiar was last seen two years ago, manning his motor boat in Florida. The boat – called T.T Zion - washed up to shore the next day, with no trace of Mr Aguiar. His mobile and wallet were found on board the 31 ft boat.

The body of 35-year-old Mr Aguiar, a father of four, was never found.

His wife, Jamie, and mother, Ellen, filed a joint petition asking a Florida judge to declare him dead so they could access his £65 million fortune. The judge approved this last week.

A philanthropist, he had donated more than £5 million to Nefesh b’Nefesh, a charity that helps British and American Jews make aliyah. He also supported the March of the Living programme, which is an annual educational programme, which brings students from all over the world to Poland to learn lessons of the Holocaust.

Mr Aguiar, the owner of Israeli basketball team Hapoel Jerusalem, once invested £2.6 million in the Israeli Premier League football team Beitar Jerusalem.

A Zionist, he founded the Defender of Jerusalem Award, which honours high-profile figures who support the Israeli capital.

Mr Aguiar, whose mother is Jewish, was raised as an Evangelical Christian. He discovered Judaism in his 20s after meeting a rabbi.

He was believed to have had mental health issues and was reportedly admitted to an Israeli psychiatric hospital.