What do Abraham Lincoln, Prince and Picasso have in common?
Unfortunately they all died without making a Will. People assume Wills are only for powerful or famous people, however Wills are in fact for everyone. Nobody should ever pass away without one.
Interesting fact: 6 out of 10 people DONT have a Will.
The devastation caused over not having a Will often leads to families becoming bitterly divided. Unfortunately majority of people end up taking the matter to court. Simply make a Will & protect what you have so you are able to leave your estate and all that you own to the ones you choose & love.
There are many heartbreaking stories all around the world everyday, however here are just a few of some of the most famous people in history.
Prince born Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016) dies at the age of 57
The singer died on April 21, 2016, in an elevator in his Paisley Park compound. In the absence of his will, scores of claimants emerged, claiming to be his previously-unknown wife, child, sibling, or distant relative. After months of legal drama, the Minnesota probate judge overseeing the late Prince's estate declared in May 2017 that Prince did die without a Will and that his sister, Tyka Nelson, and five half-siblings are the heirs to the multiple millions of dollars he left behind.
The Minnesota courts whittled his potential heirs down to six—including his sister Tyka Nelson and five half-siblings—and discredited several outrageous claims of connections to the late pop star. A woman insisted they had been married, but the C.I.A. covered it up, according to The New York Times. There were also a few claims that Prince was the father of both biological and adopted children. Many “cousins' came out of the woodwork.
Taking all of this into account, Prince’s estate could be worth up to $300 million—that is, before taxes.
Michael Jackson, born Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) dies at the age of 50
Michael Jackson said his youth was lonely and isolated.
He didn't want a repeat of his childhood to play out with his children. This was ensured when he made his Will, full custody of his children went to his mother Katherine Jackson, his father Joe received nothing.
The American singer, songwriter and dancer, dubbed the "King Of Pop”, tragically and unexpectedly died at the age of just 50 years of age.
Unfortunately, we are only left with his legacy — and what a legacy it was.
Jackson became the undisputed King of Pop. He is one of the best-selling artists of all time, with an estimated 400 million units in sales. He has earned 15 Grammy Awards, a Juno Award, six Brit Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and 39 Guinness Book Of World Records including the “Most Successful Entertainer of All Time.” And he’s also one of the only musicians to ever be inducted into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame twice (once as a member of The Jackson Five, and once as a solo artist).
Jackson popularized complicated dance moves such as the moonwalk, to which he gave the name, as well as the robot. He was a meticulous planner often spending hours on perfecting his dance moves, so it comes as no surprise that Michael was astute enough to make a Will or as we call it an "Afterlife plan".
Michael didn’t have the best childhood, he said his father told him he had a "fat nose", and physically and emotionally abused him during rehearsals. He recalled that Joe often sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as he and his siblings rehearsed, ready to punish any mistakes. Joe acknowledged that he regularly whipped Michael. Jackson said his youth was lonely and isolated.
In his Will, MJ left 40 per cent of his assets to his three children, to be split equally, 20 per cent of his wealth was left to multiple children's charities and the 40 per cent that was left all went to his mother Katherine Jackson.
Stars dying without a Will? While we may never be as wealthy or successful as the likes of Prince or Michael Jackson one thing is for certain if you die without a Will, (intestate) your estate shall be determined by a court.
Estranged family, ex-partners and spouses, even non-biological children then can come out of the woodwork to make a claim, and often do.
The simple way to help avoid the stress and future drama and to help ensure your estate and care of your underage children is understood is to make a Will.
Pablo Picasso's famous piece
‘Les Femmes D’Alger (version ‘O’) which sold for € 160.9 million.
Pablo Picasso (Oct 25,1881- April 8, 1973)
Pablo Picasso dies at the age of 91 without a Will , leaving behind a multi- Billion dollar empire.
When Picasso died in 1973, he left behind 45,000 works, in 2015 1 piece alone named ‘Les Femmes D’Alger (version ‘O’) sold for € 160.9 million.
In addition to his works his fortune also included 5 homes one of which is now a museum, cash, gold and bonds.
Given that Picasso had 4 children to 3 different woman it made the distribution even more difficult without a Will.
In the end 6 heirs were awarded his estate after a bitter and lengthy battle which took 6 years and $30 million dollars to settle in court.
Abraham Lincoln American President (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) dies at the age of 66
Not an entertainer but worth a mention. Abraham Lincoln, the nation's 16th president, has the distinction of being the first president to be assassinated (1865) as well as the first president to die without a Will- despite being a Lawyer himself.
Famous or not, everyone should have a Will. It's simple to do, and it saves your family a lot of money and headaches. And, as illustrated by the stories above, you're never too young—or too smart or too powerful—to have a Will.
Think you need a lawyer to create your legal Will? Think again. Read more. {Link to blog post 3}
Amy Winehouse born Amy Jade Winehouse (September 1983 – 23 July 2011) dies at the age of 27
Unlike Jackson, we will never know whether Amy would have included her father, friends or given her estate to charity as she didn’t make a Will.
It’s yet another tragic and sudden death of a person without an ‘Afterlife Plan’.
At the 50th Grammy awards 2008, she won five awards, tying the then-record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night and becoming the first British woman to win five Grammys.
The soulful British singer became the first British woman to win five Grammy awards. She was found dead in 2011 from alcohol poisoning when she was only 27years of age.
Winehouse's parents were awarded her fortune, with the singer's father, Mitch Winehouse, acting as the administrator of her estate. It's notable that in Amy, the Oscar-Winning Documentary about the singer, Winehouse was shown to have a contentious relationship with her father.
Her ex-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, did not receive anything.
Bob Marley born Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) dies at the age of 36
Here's a cautionary tale about estate planning: 30-plus years after Marley's death, his heirs were still battling the singer's estate in court. Marley, who died of cancer in 1981, famously left no written will, and under Jamaican law, his estate was to be divided among his wife and 11 children. That meant Marley's wife, Rita, received only 10 per cent of his assets. After years of court battles, Rita and Marley's family was rewarded with a decision that they were entitled to Marley's name and likeness.
Marley's estate has since aggressively defended commercial use of Marley's likeness, songs and intellectual property through the years. Five years ago the estate sued Richard Booker, Marley's half-brother, for giving Jamaican tours and coordinating music festivals in his brother's name. The case was settled out of court.
Jimi Hendrix born Johnny Allen Hendrix; (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970. Dies at the young age of 27
Sadly another who died with a great and promising career ahead. Hendrix died in 1970 joining the growing number of successful artists to die without a Will.
The fight over his estate went on for more than 30 years. The famed guitarist's siblings had been feuding since 2002, when their father, Al Hendrix, died with a Will leaving the estate to Jimi's sister Janie in control of the musician's $80-million estate.
Janie’s siblings, unhappy with their fathers Will, contested it in court but The Washington State Supreme Court upheld the Will.
Thankfully Al Hendrix learned from his son's mistake of not making a Will. He didn't want a repeat of the grief and drama that plagued his family with his son's death.
This is a great example of how making a Will can protect what you have to leave to those you wish.