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 taxman unwittingly 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 back taxes after inspectors found his Chateau Miraval vineyard in Provence has increased in value by around £16million.

While this may seem like bad news, friends say Pitt is privately delighted – because it proves his investments in the property have paid off. He believes the ruling will help crush a separate legal claim from Maleficent star Ms Jolie, 48, who says he has squandered money on vanity projects, including a pool and an ornate staircase.

The two have been embroiled in a long-running bitter legal fight over the chateau, which they bought together in 2008. A source close to Pitt said last night: 'Brad built this business from the ground up through blood, sweat and tears with his business partner Marc Perrin. Angelina may be one of the world's most recognisable women, but you couldn't say entrepreneurship is her strong point. She couldn't run a bath, let alone a wine estate.

'The court has ruled that, far from 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 wrestling for control of the vineyard he built into a booming empire after Ms Jolie 'secretly' sold her half to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler in 2021.

Last month the French tax court ruled the chateau is liable for £1.3million in retrospective taxes from 2012-15, when Ms Jolie was co-owner. However, there has never been any allegation of tax evasion or criminality.