Brad Heppner’s wife, Aurelia Heppner, is a French-born businesswoman and philanthropist based in Dallas who works as an enterprise program manager at The Beneficient Company Group and co-founded the couple’s Texas nonprofit, the Heppner Endowments for Research Organizations (HERO). She has not been charged in the federal fraud case that led to her husband’s May 2026 conviction, and her name does not appear in the indictment or the Justice Department’s announcement of the verdict.
Who Aurelia Heppner Is
Aurelia grew up in France and spent her childhood traveling the world on a sailboat with her parents.1SMU News. Investing in a Culture of Collaboration She moved to Texas on an academic scholarship to Southern Methodist University and later earned a B.A. in business and marketing from the University of Texas at Dallas.2SMU Cox Today Magazine. New Heppner Family Commons Before joining Beneficient, she was a senior business development manager at Maxsys Solutions, a technology-sector recruiting and placement firm.
She and Brad Heppner live in Dallas with their five children. Aurelia is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Dallas and an active member of NCL Silver Star, and she has been involved in nonprofit and educational programs across the Dallas–Fort Worth area.1SMU News. Investing in a Culture of Collaboration
Her Work at Beneficient and HERO
As enterprise program manager at Beneficient, the alternative asset firm her husband founded, Aurelia has worked to define the relationship between the company and HERO, the nonprofit she co-founded with Brad in 2010.3Fort Worth Business. SMU Cox School of Business Receive $11.5 Million Gift Her role has included managing partnerships between HERO, Texas universities, and K–12 educators to fund academic research.2SMU Cox Today Magazine. New Heppner Family Commons
HERO focuses on conservation of Texas habitats, support for the arts, and the well-being of Texans.4HERO for Texas. HERO for Texas It operates out of Bradley Oaks Ranch, a nearly 1,500-acre property in Bradford, Texas, that the family acquired in 2004 and uses as a campus for field and applied research and academic gatherings.5HERO for Texas. Bradley Oaks Ranch
The Couple’s Philanthropy
In October 2020, Aurelia and Brad Heppner committed $11.5 million to SMU’s Edwin L. Cox School of Business. Ten million dollars established the Heppner Family Commons, a collaborative space in the Fincher Building tied to a renovation and expansion project, and the remaining $1.5 million flowed through HERO to support Cox faculty research, salaries, and scholarships.6The Dallas Morning News. Beneficient Group Founder and Wife Donate $11.5 Million to Build SMU Business School Commons No public reporting has indicated whether the gift has been scrutinized or returned since Brad Heppner’s criminal case.
Is Aurelia Heppner Part of the Fraud Case
No public reporting or court filing has indicated that Aurelia Heppner played any role in the fraud alleged against her husband. Her name does not appear in the federal indictment unsealed in the Southern District of New York in November 2025, in the Department of Justice press release announcing his conviction, or in reporting on how the scheme operated.7U.S. Department of Justice. US v. Heppner, 25 Cr. 5038U.S. Department of Justice. Public Company CEO and Chairman Convicted of Fraud
Brad Heppner, 60, founded The Beneficient Company Group and served as chairman of GWG Holdings, which sold roughly $1.6 billion in “L Bonds” through about 40 broker-dealers before filing for bankruptcy in 2022 and leaving bondholders with more than $1 billion in unpaid obligations.9InvestmentNews. GWG Mess Gets Worse: Chairman Charged With $150 Million Fraud A federal jury convicted him on May 7, 2026, of securities fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy, false statements to auditors, and falsification of records. Sentencing is scheduled for October 7, 2026.10Kansas Reflector. Former Beneficient Executive With Kansas Political Ties Guilty of Fraud in $150M Scheme
How the Case Touches Family Property
Although Aurelia has not been charged, the case reaches assets the family has shared. The couple’s primary residence is a Highland Park mansion they named “Sunfields Manor,” in the Volk Estates neighborhood, renovated under designer Ken Fulk.11PaperCity Magazine. Dallas Home Designer Ken Fulk Texas Design Week A 2023 list of Dallas’s most expensive homes placed a Turtle Creek–area Heppner property at roughly $18.8 million, with eight bedrooms and twelve bathrooms.12D Magazine. The 100 Most Expensive Homes in Dallas
Prosecutors allege that about $40 million of misappropriated funds went to renovate the Dallas mansion and Bradley Oaks Ranch, and they are seeking forfeiture of both properties.13Kansas Reflector. He Wanted to Build Mom a Grocery Store Several Heppner properties in Highland Park, Dallas, and Kansas were pledged as security for Brad Heppner’s $25 million personal recognizance bond after his November 2025 arrest.14CourtListener. United States v. Heppner
Separate civil claims by the GWG Holdings Litigation Trustee continue against trusts and other entities affiliated with Brad Heppner, which the Trustee alleges received more than $140 million in funds improperly transferred from GWG.15GWG Holdings Trust. Settlements With forfeiture sought on the family homes and those civil claims unresolved, the ultimate financial impact on the household Aurelia Heppner shares with her husband remains open as he awaits sentencing.