Decade-long feud between two American billionaire neighbors in the Bahamas takes a nasty turn

Louis Bacon, 62, has accused neighbor Peter Nygard, 72, of hiring two hit men to kill him Last year Bacon filed a $50million defamation suit against Nygard Claims billionaire has waged an 'obsessive' smear campaign for years Bacon and his conservation nonprofit have been trying to block Nygard's attempts to expand his 150,000 sq ft mansion for year Livingston Bullard and Wisler Davilma said Nygard promised them houses and a 'huge, huge amount' of money for killing Bacon. Bullard also promised $20K to firebomb Pastor's car

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A decade-long feud between two billionaires in the Bahamas has taken a deadly turn with accusations of hit men, gang assaults and even fire-bombing a pastor's car.

And it all stated over a fight about a shared driveway.

New York hedge fund manager Louis Bacon, 62, has accused his neighbor Peter Nygard, a 72-year-old Canadian clothing tycoon, of hiring two hit men to kill him.

Bacon claims Nygard promised Livingston Bullard and Wisler Davilma payment to murder Bacon and others who were fighting against his efforts to expand his estate in the private gated Lyford Cay community in New Providence Island.

Photo: Daily Mail
Bacon claims Nygard promised Livingston Bullard and Wisler Davilma payment to murder Bacon and others who were fighting against his efforts to expand his estate in the Lyford Cay community (pictured)

The two men's feud came to a head in 2004 when Bacon and a group of conservationists founded Save the Bays, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the natural environment of Clifton Bay.

Bacon and the group then accused Nygard of illegally dredging the sea bed, extending the island's natural shoreline, and expanding the borders of his compound without permission.

They attempted to block any further attempts by the billionaire to expand his home by buying up a large stretch of coast line and establishing a nature reserve.

Bacon and three other board members, as well as a pastor, filed papers in a Bahamian court on Wednesday that claimed Nygard organized a gang assault of one director, according to the New York Post.

They also claim Nygard paid Bullard to fire-bomb the pastor's car. Bullard admitted in a sworn statement that the tycoon gave him $20,000 for the job.

During a deposition, Bullard said Nygard also promised him and Davilma 'two houses' as payment for killing Bacon.

Davilma said they were promised an unspecified but 'huge, huge amount' payment as well.

The two men began working with Bacon and the nonprofit undercover a year ago, secretly recording audio and video of five meetings they had with Nygard during the period.

In return Bullard and Davilma were given protection and compensation for their families, sources told the Post.

A spokesman for Nygard claims the men were 'paid millions of dollars' for 'false testimony'.

Photo: Bloomberg/Getty Images
Bacon's nonprofit attempted to block any further attempts by Nygard to expand his Mayan-themed mansion (pictured) by buying up a large stretch of coast line and establishing a nature reserve

Photo: Bloomberg/Getty Images
Bacon (pictured with his wife Gabrielle) and three other board members, as well as a pastor, filed papers in a Bahamian court on Wednesday that claimed Nygard organized a gang assault of one director

'There's also evidence that these convicted criminals offered to recant their testimony if Mr Nygard paid them a significant amount of money,' the spokesman claimed. This may be the deadliest accusation launched between the two neighbors, but it is hardly the first time their feud has landed them in court.

Last year Bacon filed a $50m defamation suit claiming Nygard had waged an 'obsessive and malicious' smear campaign for years. Bacon claimed Nygard was behind rumors about him being a white supremacist, possessing terrorist weaponry and committing arson at Nygard's home, the suit says. He alleged that his neighbor 'harbors spite, ill will, and animus' toward him and that his 'sinister' allegations have destroyed Bacon's professional, philanthropic and personal reputations'.

In his lawsuit, Bacon accuses Nygard of doctoring a 2011 CBS report about the arrest of Wall Street mogul Rajat Gupta for inside trading. Bacon claims Nygard deliberately superimposed his face over Gupta's, falsely alleging that he was at the center of a 'billion-dollar scam', the suit claims, according to the New York Post.

During the alleged smear campaign, Nygard also claimed Bacon was trying to hide the fact that his great-grandfather, Col. Roger B. Moore, was a member of the KKK. Bacon claims this amounts to character assassination, and says Nygard is behind rallies and protest marches on the island which have seen him denounced as a racist.

Photo: Getty Images
During a deposition, Bullard said Nygard promised him and Davilma 'two houses' as payment for killing Bacon. Davilma said they were promised an unspecified but 'huge, huge amount' payment as well

The two men's feud began in 2004 when Bacon and a group of conservationists founded Save the Bays, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the natural environment of Clifton Bay (pictured)

And elsewhere in the suit, Bacon claims his neighbor spread rumors that he had covered up the murder of his house manager, Dan Tuckfield, who died in his pool in May 2010. The bitter argument came to a dramatic head in 2009 when a fire gutted Nygard's mansion.

Fire crews listed the official cause as 'unknown', but Nygard claimed it was an act of arson organised by Bacon - an allegation he strongly denies.

Nygard also alleged that Bacon installed four 'large, military-grade' speakers at the boundary between their two properties, before aiming them at his bedroom. Bacon then blared 'ear piercing noises' toward Nygard, with one of Bacon's assistants shouting 'There, that's a message from Mr. Bacon. Don't f*** with Louis,' according to court papers.

Since the fire destroyed large parts of his home, Nygard has applied for planning permission to rebuild the lavish estate in even grander style, prompting outrage from the exclusive community. In 2014 more than 100 people, including actor Sean Connery, filed a legal complaint against the government over efforts by Nygard to redevelop his compound.

Nygard, a self-styled playboy and eccentric owner of Nygard International, has an estimated fortune just shy of $1billion, and has resided on the island since 1987.

His famous 150,000 sq ft beachfront mansion, dubbed 'Nygard Cay', has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

Visitors have included former U.S. President George Bush and actor Robert De Niro. Bacon, is the founder of Moore Capital Management LLC, and has an estimated wealth of $1.6billion. He has lived next door to Nygard since 1996.