| From our curiosity
bin...the wills below provide an interesting glimpse into history
and the lives of the rich and famous.
Michael Jackson (1958-2009) - Singer-songwriter, record producer, musical arranger, dancer, choreographer, actor, author, businessman, financier, philanthropist, inventor, "King of Pop".
Napoleon
Bonaparte (1821) - The Emperor of France leaves his
collection of swords and memorabilia in this one. Reading this will
provides a true history lesson.
Warren
Burger (1907-1995) -The former Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court may have been an ardent jurist, but he was certainly
not an estate planner. He left behind a paltry self-written, 176-word
will. In it, he failed to make proper provisions for estate taxes
and did not include a grant of powers for his executors - a mistake
that cost his estate thousands in fees.
Diana,
Princess of Wales (1961-1997) - Princess Diana left
behind a 21.5 million pound (approximately $35 million) fortune,
most of which was bequeathed to her sons, Prince William and Prince
Harry in trust. This is a long document which also sets aside personal
items for her godchildren.
Joe
DiMaggio (1914-1999) - "The Yankee Clipper"
set up trusts for Joseph Jr., his grandchildren Katherine and Paula,
and his great-grandchildren, Kendall and Mitchell Stein, and Valerie
and Vanessa Hamra. The remainder of DiMaggio's estate will be divided
among his son and his two grandchildren.
Walt
Disney (1901-1966) - The creator of Mickey Mouse,
half of his wealth went to his family with the other half going
to a charitable foundation.
Doris
Duke (1913-1993) - The tobacco heiress with a $1.2
billion estate. A New York judge ordered the removal of two co-executors
after fiscal mismanagement.
Benjamin
Franklin (1789) Yes, wills have been around
for a while and Mr. Franklin was quite a character. His will is
wordy but interesting and gives you a unique glimpse of life in
those times.
Jerry
Garcia (1942-1995) - The leader of the Grateful
Dead. The estate and his second wife are still fighting it out in
the courts. In his will he remembers his friends and family through
gifts including his guitars.
Harry
Helmsley (1997) - The billionaire real estate tycoon
who owned the Empire State Building and many of New York City's
posh hotels, died Jan. 4, 1997. He left his estate to his wife,
Leona Helmsley, who is also the executor of the will.
"Shoeless"
Joe Jackson (1889-1951) - The famous baseball player
who was banned from the game for his part in the "Black Sox
Scandal" of the 1919 World Series.
John
F. Kennedy, Jr. (1960-1999) - John F. Kennedy, Jr.
planned to leave the bulk of his estate to his wife, Caroline Bessette-Kennedy,
but they died together in a plane crash last July without leaving
any children. Therefore, his property will go to the children of
his sister.
John
Lennon (1940-1980) - The Beatles' singer, songwriter
and guitarist, left most of his possessions to Yoko.
Linda McCartney (1942-1998) - She left her fortune
to her husband Paul and set up a trust that makes her estate virtually
exempt from taxes.
Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) - She committed
suicide in 1962. Her will leaves most of her fortune to her friends
and family.
Richard Nixon (1913-1994) - Remember those pesky
notes? Here he gives specific instructions for the handling and
disposal of them and the records.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1929-1994) - As first
lady and then a billionaire heiress, her will makes specific reference
to many personal and artistic items.
David Packard (1912-1996) One of the founders
of Hewlett-Packard. His will leaves his holdings to the charitable
foundation named for him and his late wife.
Elvis Presley (1935-1977) - From pauper to prince
(or "King"), he left much of his fortune to members of
his family.
Babe Ruth (1895-1948) - The home run king. He established
and endowed the Babe Ruth Foundation.
Frank Sinatra (1999) - The one and only.
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