Hong Kong, China -- A barman who had an affair with one of the world's richest women has lost his claim for her billions after a court ruled her will was a forgery.

The legal battle over the late Nina Wang's fortune has fascinated Hong Kong, offering a glimpse into the private lives of the ultra-rich in the money-obsessed city.

Ms Wang died of cancer in April 2007 aged 69. The court case centred on two competing wills - the 2006 will held by feng shui master and bartender Tony Chan Chun-chuen and a 2002 will that left her fortune to a charity set up by her and her husband.

High Court Judge Lam Man-hon ruled that Chan's will was forgery.

The judge accepted that Ms Wang and Chan - more than 20 years her junior - had an intimate relationship.

But he said the affair was a secret Ms Wang wanted to bury and when it came to her estate, "she placed a higher regard on her charitable objectives than the defendant," the summary said.

"The court does not believe that their relationship was such that Nina was prepared to give him her entire estate irrespective of her other commitments and responsibilities. Giving him gifts or even large sums of money during Nina's lifetime when he made her happy is one thing. Making him her sole heir in respect of her entire estate is quite different," according to the document.

The court ruled that the purported Wang signature on the 2006 will is a "highly skilled simulation." One of Chan's lawyers, Jonathan Midgley, said his client was "extremely disappointed" and plans to appeal.

"We have won now. There is justice in this world," Ms Wang's brother, Kung Yan-sum, said after the verdict.