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The billionaire family embroiled in a scandal over their wannabe influencer new in-law was once fined $95million for hiring undocumented migrants.
The Asplundh family has gone viral after their new member Katherine tried to bully an Instagram user who shared her married name into handing over her handle.
It has since emerged that the family agreed to pay what was the largest civil fine in of its kind in 2017 after admitting to a scheme to unlawfully employ undocumented migrants from 2010 to 2014.
Prosecutors said at the time: 'The highest levels of Asplundh management remained willfully blind while lower level managers hired and rehired employees they knew to be ineligible to work in the United States'
Katherine, whose maiden name was Driscoll, married Cabot Asplundh, 27, of the Pennsylvania billionaire tree trimming family at a reception in Palm Beach, Florida, two weeks ago.
The Asplundh family has gone viral after their new member Katherine tried to bully an Instagram user who shared her married name into handing over her handle
The 95-year-old company, which maintains trees for electric utilities, municipalities and others, is run by the third generation of Asplundhs
She went viral after aggressively messaging a stranger who shares her married name, demanding she hand over her Instagram handle - @katherineasplundh.
Her new father in law Matt Asplundh has been serving as CEO of the family business since 2021.
Cabot's father Chris Asplundh is the company's CEO
The 95-year-old company, which maintains trees for electric utilities, municipalities and others, is run by the third generation of Asplundhs and owned by nearly 200 family members, who are collectively worth at least $3 billion, according to Forbes.
It is described as one of the largest private companies in the country.
After her threatening DM conversation was leaked, Katherine deactivated her Instagram amid the backlash. She had 14,600 followers.
Since the story has gone viral, netizens have taken it upon themselves to create fake accounts with every possible username option that includes either her maiden or married name.
Despite the negative attention, Katherine has continued to post on her TikTok account @lostetiquette - a username that has nothing to do with her maiden or married name but everything to do with her sense of entitlement.
Her most recent video was a throwback to her last wedding dress fitting before her lavish ceremony in April.
The internet has trolled a billionaire's new wife Katherine Asplundh, formerly Driscoll, by claiming nearly every available variation of her desired username after she tried bullying a stranger into selling her Instagram handle
In reaching out to the woman known only as Kate, who has since shared the messages on social media, the newlywed has unintentionally gone viral
In reaching out to the woman known only as Kate, who has since shared the messages on social media, the newlywed has unintentionally gone viral
Asplundh then continues to question the legitimacy of her name, who confirms she is not American
As luck would have it, internet users dug up an old TikTok posted by Katherine, mocking new wives who can't wait to update their name on social media.
'Something that low key bothers me is when girls get married and it's not even like 10 minutes after they do their vows and they're like "Oh! going on my Instagram! Let me change my last name already,' Katherine said in a now-deleted TikTok.
She then says she's 'probably going to wait a couple of months' to change her name.
'I just think it's a little bit a lot when I see girls change it before I even knew they were f***ing married, like chill,' Katherine ironically explained.
Despite her rant about new wives, Katherine contacted Kate, owner of her desired IG handle asking if she could buy it, which is actually a violation of the platform's terms of service.
Kate refused and explained how she feared selling the username would get her 'banned from Instagram'.
The wanna-be influencer has gone viral after she aggressively messaged a stranger who shares her married name and demanded she hand over her Instagram handle - @katherineasplundh.
Despite the negative attention, Katherine (pictured) has continued to post on her TikTok account @lostetiquette - a username that has nothing to do with her maiden or married name
Her most recent video was a throwback to her last wedding dress fitting before her ceremony in April
This prompted Katherine to launch a tirade against her.
Kate claims she was initially open to changing her username but decided against doing so after Katherine 'came off snarky,' later shared the exchange online.
In the now-viral exchange, Katherine starts by asking if she can buy the Instagram handle.
'Hi I was wondering if I could purchase your username from you,' she wrote. 'Just got married and this in my new name!'
Kate replied: 'That's my name too. I just googled and it said selling my username would get me banned from Instagram.'
But Katherine pushes back, saying: 'I purchased my username in the past actually that's not true. Celebrities do it all the time that's how they all have their handles as their full names.
'So weird, I didn't know there was another Asplundh's family out there. There [are] no Katherine Asplundh in our family.'
She then adds: 'I see that you're not that active on here but started Instagram in 2018 but changed your username three times?
After the happy couple exchanged vows, the new Asplundh reached out another woman of the same name in hopes of purchasing a new Instagram account name
'Is there anyway I can get you to change your username one more time?'
Kate responds, explaining that the @katherineasplundh account is her so-called 'finsta', a term that refers to a 'fake' or secondary account that users create to share content just with close friends and family.
The conversation then turns sour, with Katherine questioning Kate's identity.
'I actually don't believe that your name is Katherine Asplundh who would make their finsta their actual name?' Katherine wrote.
'I reported you to Instagram and they're actually able to tell me your real name I really hope I don't know you because that's gonna be really embarrassing for you.'
Kate asks the influencer to report her, but Katherine confirms that she and her new husband have already done so.
Just a few months ago, Katherine shared a TikTok where she mocked new wives who can't wait to update their name on social media
Kate refused and explained how she feared selling the username would get her 'banned from Instagram'
Katherine then continues to question the legitimacy of Kate's name, alleging that her husband's family are the only Asplundhs in the US.
Kate confirms she is not American, to which Katherine replies: 'Do you have proof that this is your name? Would love to see that.'
Kate then tells Katherine that if she had been nice about it, she would have considered giving her the account name for free.
She hits back at the influencer, saying: 'But you weren't. I reported you for asking me to sell my account and another for harassing me. Have a good day.'
Speaking to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Kate told the outlet: 'I was open to giving her my username.
'I just didn’t want to sell it because that would get me banned. After I replied to her, her messages came off snarky so I told myself, "OK, this isn’t worth it".'
According to her social media pages, Katherine is originally from New Vernon, New Jersey, having studied at College of Charleston.
Her TikTok page, named Lost Etiquette, has more than 80,000 followers with over 5.5 million likes on her profile.
The family that she married into founded Asplundh Tree Expert, which in 2021 reported revenue of over $5.4 billion dollars.
The tree trimming company was founded by three brothers from Sweden - Lester, Griffith and Cabot's great grandfather Carl Asplundh.
Kate eventually tells Asplundh that if she had been nice about it, she would have considered giving her the account name for free
Katherine is seen with her wedding party at her recent nuptials in Florida
Cabot proposed to her in Mantoloking, New Jersey two years after they met
The family that she married into founded Asplundh Tree Expert, which in 2021 reported revenue of over $5.4 billion dollars
Cabot's father Chris Asplundh is currently the company's CEO.
Katherine and Cabot met in Prague while Katherine was studying aboard and connected over growing up at the Jersey Shore, according to their wedding website.
Two years later, Cabot proposed to her in Mantoloking, New Jersey.
Their extravagant wedding registry included a $600 blender and cash donations for their St Bart's honeymoon, as well as for furnishing their home.
Former Senate candidate and celebrity surgeon Dr Mehmet Oz is part of the family by marriage, with his wife Lisa's grandfather cofounding the family business in 1928 with his two brothers.
Celebrity fitness expert Tracy Anderson is also married into the family after she wed Chris Asplundh in 2015.
Kate, who only told The Inquirer that her name was Katherine J. Asplundh, shared the exchange onto Reddit, telling the outlet: 'The whole thing just seemed silly and ridiculous to me. I thought they’d have a laugh and that would be it.'
One user commented: 'Legitimately insane behavior "I don't believe that's your name" HUH?!?!.'
Another posted: 'The pivot from hey girly to let me see your birth certificate gave me whiplash.'
While another said: 'Omg this is crazy- she married into a billionaire family and is acting like they’re the only ones allowed to have that last name wtf.'
The tree trimming company was founded by three brothers from Sweden - Lester, Griffith and Cabot's great grandfather Carl Asplundh
Former Senate candidate and celebrity Dr Mehmet Oz is part of the family by marriage, with his wife Lisa's grandfather cofounding the family business in 1928
In posts about the wedding, Katherine described it as the 'best day' of her life, sharing pictures of the her in her dress.
According to Instagram, users are forbidden from buying, selling, or transferring 'any aspect of your account'.
Despite Instagram forbidding the buying, selling or transferring of 'any aspect of your account, an investigation by Vox found dedicated online marketplaces where it takes place.
Social media handles are supposed to be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis but in some cases celebs have used their influence to pass these rules.
In 2019, Kevin Keiley of West Sussex claimed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took his @sussexroyal handle.
Instagram said that the account name being reassigned was due to Keiley's being inactive.
