silicon valley a woman who claims she was both the daughter and wife of one of the daughters of ibm founder thomas j watson jr is fighting for a share of his fortune according to court records patricia spado was the domestic partner of ibm heiress olive watson for more than 10 years until 1992 when the couple split online publication information week reported on thursdaybefore the breakup in 1991 watson legally adopted spado in maine in order to circumvent antigay marriage state laws and ensure that she would be financially secure a letter from spados lawyer sent to the trustees explained the couple sought the adoption so that patricia would become olives issue for the purpose of the watson family inheritance and trustsat the time spado was 44 years old and olive watson was 43 when they split spado received approximately 500000 from watson still she sent a letter to the trustees in january 2005 in which she stated that since she was watsons legally adopted granddaughter and wanted a share of the trusts however watsons 18 grandchildren are contesting spados claim to a share in a family trust reportedly worth millions of dollars in a connecticut court they argued that thomas watson had earmarked the trust fund for children born to his children while he knew spado as his daughters lover watson had no knowledge of the adoption the fund became active upon the death of thomas watson in 1993 a connecticut judge has ruled that spado should not receive a share of either trust because watson did not intend to benefit someone who is adopted for no reason other than to obtain his moneyit is reasonable to conclude that watson intended to benefit only those grandchildren who had a typical parentchild relationship with his children judge david hopper wrotespado who was older than her adoptive mother olive did not have a typical parentchild relationship he saidspado has now decided to appeal against the ruling