Brad Pitt is hit with a £1.3million tax bill over his French vineyard… But might be raising a glass to them over what it means for his ongoing legal battle with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie

Brad Pitt is quietly celebrating after a French tax official unknowingly gave him a powerful new weapon in his legal battle against ex-wife Angelina Jolie.

Fight Club star Pitt, who turns 60 on Monday, is facing a £1.3million bill for unpaid taxes after inspectors discovered his Chateau Miraval vineyard in Provence has risen in value by around £16million.

While this may seem like bad news, friends say Pitt is personally happy about it because it proves his investments in the property have paid off. He believes the ruling will help defeat a separate legal claim by Maleficent star Ms Jolie, 48, who says he wasted money on vanity projects including a swimming pool and an ornate staircase.

The two are involved in a long, bitter legal battle over the castle, which they bought together in 2008. A source close to Pitt said last night: 'Brad built this company from the ground up with blood, sweat and tears with his business partner Marc Perrin. Angelina may be one of the most recognizable women in the world, but you can't say that entrepreneurship is her strong suit. She couldn't run a bath, let alone a wine estate.

'The court has ruled that, rather than spending money recklessly, every euro invested in Chateau Miraval has translated into an increase in value of the same amount.'

Through his holding company Mondo Bongo, Pitt is struggling for control of the vineyard he built into a thriving empire after Ms Jolie “secretly” sold her half to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler in 2021.

Last month, France's tax court ruled that the castle is liable for £1.3 million in backdated taxes from 2012 to 2015, when Ms Jolie was co-owner. However, there has never been any tax evasion or crime.