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United States

Every case set in what is now United States, best-known first. Cities, states and old kingdoms count under the country that holds them today.

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Cases in United States

Best-known first. Each card opens the full cited case.

Cases: 563
Years: 10700 BCE to 2026
Region: North America
Main subjects: Music and sport, Hollywood and TV, Literature and art, Fame and fortune
Families: House of Romanov, Astor family, Vanderbilt family, Rockefeller family, Ford family, Getty family, Hunt family, Busch family
Updated: 30 October 2026

Dolly Parton: Publicity shot of American singer Dolly Parton, 1977

2026 · Nashville, TennesseeDolly Parton's estate company sued her nephew and former security chief one month after her death, alleging threats to ruin her brandDolly Parton died in Nashville on 25 August 2026, aged 80. Her husband, Carl Dean, had died in March 2025. They had no children.wbur.org and 5 more

Michael Jackson: Michael Jackson 1983 (3x4 cropped) (contrast)

2009 · Los Angeles, California, USAMichael Jackson's estate put its value at $5.1 million, the Tax Court set $111.5 million, and a judge later ordered $625,000 in bonuses returnedMichael Jackson died on 25 June 2009, aged 50, of acute propofol intoxication; the Los Angeles County coroner ruled it a homicide.abcnews.com and 8 more

Michael Jackson: Michael Jackson 1983 (3x4 cropped) (contrast)

2009 · Los Angeles, California, USAMichael Jackson's companies face abuse suits from Wade Robson and James Safechuck, revived on appeal in 2023 and set for trial in 2028Wade Robson testified for Michael Jackson at his 2005 child molestation trial, at which a California jury acquitted Jackson. After Jackson's death on 25 June 2009, Robson sued in 2013 and James Safechuck in 2014.The Guardian and 6 more

Bruce Lee as Chen Zhen (4x5 cropped): Bruce Lee as Chen Zhen National General Pictures publicity photo distributed for The Chinese Connection

1973 · Hong Kong; buried in Seattle, Washington, USAA Chinese fast-food chain used a Bruce Lee figure as its logo for 15 years, and his daughter sued for 210 million yuanBruce Lee died in Hong Kong on 20 July 1973, aged 32, of brain swelling. He is buried at Lake View Cemetery in Seattle.gulfnews.com and 3 more

Elvis Presley promoting Jailhouse Rock: A photograph promoting the film Jailhouse Rock depicts singer Elvis Presley.

1977 · Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee, USAElvis Presley's probate judge ruled that Colonel Parker's 50 percent share "shocks the conscience of the court" and ordered the estate to sue himElvis Presley died at Graceland, his house in Memphis, on 16 August 1977, aged 42.CourtListener and 10 more

Lisa Marie Presley: Lisa Marie Presley (cropped)

2023 · West Hills, Los Angeles, California, USALisa Marie Presley's mother contested her trust, then resigned as trustee in exchange for $1 million and a grave near Elvis at GracelandIn February 2018 Lisa Marie Presley sued her former business manager, Barry Siegel, in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging that her $100 million trust had fallen to $14,000 in cash by 2016; he countersued for $800,000 and blamed…unicourt.com and 10 more

Lisa Marie Presley: Lisa Marie Presley (cropped)

2023 · Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee, USALisa Marie Presley's trust was told it owed $3.8 million on Graceland, and the Missouri woman who forged the loan got 57 months in prisonLisa Marie Presley died on 12 January 2023. Graceland, which she owned, was held in her trust, and her daughter Riley Keough became sole trustee that year.justice.gov and 5 more

Robin Williams 2011a (2): Happy Feet Two Australian premiere with Robin Williams and George Miller at Entertainment Quarter in Sydney, Australia

2014 · Paradise Cay, Tiburon, California, USARobin Williams's widow and three children fought in a San Francisco court over his belongings, and the children got more than 85 watchesRobin Williams died at his home in Paradise Cay, near Tiburon, California, on 11 August 2014, aged 63. His death was ruled a suicide. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and the autopsy found diffuse Lewy body dementia.journals.law.harvard.edu and 12 more

Prince at Coachella 001: Prince performing at Coachella 2008.

2016 · Paisley Park, Chanhassen, Minnesota, USAPrince died without a will, more than 45 people claimed to be his relatives, and his estate took 6 years and a tax court case to dividePrince was found unresponsive in an elevator at Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota, on 21 April 2016, aged 57. An autopsy found fentanyl toxicity. He left no will, spouse or children.nbcwashington.com and 16 more

Heath Ledger: Heath Ledger (2)

2008 · 421 Broome Street, ManhattanHeath Ledger's will was written before his daughter was born and left her nothingHeath Ledger died in his Manhattan apartment at 28 from an accidental overdose of six prescription drugs. His three-page will, signed in 2003, left everything to his parents, Kim and Sally, and his three sisters.archive.triblive.com and 3 more

Tupac Shakur: Tupac Shakur in 1995

1996 · Las Vegas, Nevada, USATupac Shakur's estate forced Drake to delete a song that used an AI copy of Tupac's voiceOn 19 April 2024, during his feud with Kendrick Lamar, Drake released "Taylor Made Freestyle." Its first verse used an AI-generated copy of Tupac Shakur's voice and its second an AI copy of Snoop Dogg's.NBC News and 2 more

David Bowie: Singer-songwriter David Bowie in Chicago during the Heathen Tour, 2002.

2016 · New York CityDavid Bowie was cremated two days after he died with no one present, and his will asked for his ashes to go to BaliDavid Bowie signed his will on 25 August 2004 under his legal name, David Robert Jones. It was filed in Manhattan Surrogate's Court on 29 January 2016. Reports valued the estate at about $100 million; one report said $230 million.ultimateclassicrock.com and 4 more

Marilyn Monroe: A glamorous Marilyn Monroe in a red dress, taken for publicity purposes for 1953 film How to Marry a Millionaire.

1962 · Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, USAMarilyn Monroe's executor told tax officials she lived in New York, so a court barred her estate's company from claiming California image rightsMarilyn Monroe signed her will in New York on 14 January 1961, naming her lawyer Aaron Frosch executor. She died in the Brentwood house she had bought for $75,000 six months earlier and was found on 5 August 1962.CourtListener and 8 more

Bob Dylan: Bob Dylan - Nowlan Park, Kilkenny - Sunday 14th July 2019

2021 · New YorkThe widow of Bob Dylan's "Hurricane" co-writer sued for a share of his $300 million song sale and lost twiceJacques Levy, a theater director, co-wrote "Hurricane," "Isis" and eight other songs on Dylan's 1976 album Desire. He died in 2004.nycourts.gov and 3 more

John Lennon: John Lennon, cropped photograph taken by Jack Mitchell for the New York Times, November 2, 1980.

1980 · New York CityJohn Lennon's will left everything to a trust run by Yoko Ono, and his son Julian sued for 16 yearsJohn Lennon signed his will on 12 November 1979. It named his wife, Yoko Ono, executor and left the residue of his estate to trustees under a trust agreement signed the same day, with Ono and Eli Garber as trustees.beatlesbible.com and 3 more

John Lennon 1969 (cropped): Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : John Lennon en echtgenote Yoko Ono vertrekken van Schiphol naa

1980 · The Dakota, New York City, New York, USAJohn Lennon's diaries and watch were stolen from Yoko Ono's home and taken to Berlin; Switzerland's top court ruled the watch hers in 2024Mark David Chapman shot John Lennon outside the Dakota, his New York apartment building, on 8 December 1980. Lennon was 40.bger.ch and 10 more

Elizabeth Taylor: Taylor, Elizabeth posed

2011 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaElizabeth Taylor's jewelry sold for $137,235,575 at Christie's in December 2011, the most ever paid for a jewelry collection, with the proceeds going to her foundationElizabeth Taylor died on 23 March 2011. Christie's sold her jewelry in New York on 13 and 14 December 2011. The evening sale on 13 December brought $115.9 million.guinnessworldrecords.com and 2 more

Harry Belafonte: Harry Belafonte at the Vanity Fair party celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Tribeca Film Festival.

2023 · New York, New YorkHarry Belafonte tried to sell Martin Luther King Jr.'s papers, King's children said they were wrongfully taken, and Belafonte sued them and kept the papersHarry Belafonte was a close supporter of Martin Luther King Jr. and joined his strategy meetings in the 1960s.upr.org and 3 more

Martin Luther King Jr.: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Lyndon Johnson (cropped)

1968 · Memphis, Tennessee, USAMartin Luther King Jr.'s estate sued his daughter in 2014 to take his Nobel medal and Bible for sale, and a judge locked both in a bank boxMartin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on 4 April 1968. He left no will, and his estate passed to his widow, Coretta Scott King, and their 4 children.law.resource.org and 12 more

Kobe Bryant: Kobe Bryant Dec 2014

2020 · Calabasas, CaliforniaDeputies and firefighters shared photos of Kobe Bryant's remains, and his widow won $28.85 million from Los Angeles CountyKobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others died when their helicopter hit a hillside in fog.etonline.com and 2 more

Muhammad Ali: Muhammad Ali NYWTS

2016 · Scottsdale, Arizona, USAMuhammad Ali's company sued Fox for more than $30 million over a 3-minute Super Bowl LI promotional video using his image, and Fox settledMuhammad Ali was taken to hospital in Scottsdale, Arizona, with a respiratory illness on 2 June 2016 and died the next day, aged 74.rightofpublicityroadmap.com and 5 more

Britney Spears: Britney Spears live in Toronto in August 14, 2011.

2008 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaBritney Spears's father ran her money for 13 years on $16,000 a month, a judge removed him, and she paid to end the fightIn 2008 a Los Angeles Superior Court judge placed Britney Spears under a conservatorship. Her father, Jamie Spears, controlled her estate for most of the next 13 years while she recorded albums and played a Las Vegas residency.NPR and 4 more

Frank Sinatra: Frank Sinatra (1957 studio portrait close-up)

1998 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaFrank Sinatra's will disinherited any family member who challenged it, listing 13 forbidden legal actionsFrank Sinatra's fourth wife, Barbara, and his three children from his first marriage, Nancy, Frank Jr. and Tina, had a long and public rift. His will anticipated a court fight.Deseret News and 2 more

George Harrison: George Harrison in the Oval Office during the Ford administration.

2001 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaGeorge Harrison's estate sued his cancer doctor for making him sign a guitar two weeks before he diedGeorge Harrison died of cancer at 58. High Court probate papers released on the first anniversary of his death showed a British estate of £99,226,700, reduced to £98,916,400 after expenses.foxnews.com and 4 more

Marlon Brando: Marlon Brando publicity for One-Eyed Jacks

2004 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaMarlon Brando's $21.6 million will left out one child, and a son's girlfriend scattered part of his ashesMarlon Brando died at UCLA Medical Center on July 1, 2004, at 80. His will, signed on August 28, 2002, and filed on July 9, 2004, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, valued his estate at $21.6 million.Los Angeles Times and 1 more

Brittany Murphy: Brittany Murphy

2009 · Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California, USABrittany Murphy's father sued the coroner for her hair samples, then said a lab found heavy metals; her mother called it a smearBrittany Murphy collapsed at the Hollywood Hills house she shared with her husband, Simon Monjack, and her mother, Sharon Murphy, and died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on 20 December 2009, aged 32.CBS News and 5 more

Chris Cornell: ChrisCornellTIFFSept2011

2017 · Detroit, MichiganChris Cornell's widow sued Soundgarden over his last seven recordings and called their $278,000 buyout offer "villainously low"Chris Cornell recorded seven songs at his Miami Beach home studio in the months before he died. His widow, Vicky Cornell, said they were his solo work.loudwire.com and 4 more

Philip Seymour Hoffman: Philip Seymour Hoffman at the Paris premiere of "The Ides of March"

2014 · New York CityPhilip Seymour Hoffman left an estimated $35 million to Mimi O'Donnell, whom he never married, and refused a trust for his three childrenPhilip Seymour Hoffman died of a drug overdose on 2 February 2014.foxnews.com and 3 more

Kurt Cobain: Nirvana around 1992 (cropped)

1994 · Seattle, WashingtonKurt Cobain left no will; his widow sued his bandmates for Nirvana, sold a quarter of his songs, and his Unplugged guitar went to his daughter's ex-husbandKurt Cobain shot himself above the garage of his $1.1 million Lake Washington home. Papers filed in King County Superior Court said he apparently left no will.The Seattle Times and 7 more

Chester Bennington: ARGO-Konzerte,Centerstage,Chester Bennington,Konzert,Linkin Park,Livekonzert,Livemusik,Musik,RiP,Rock im Park 2014

2017 · Palos Verdes Estates, CaliforniaChester Bennington left everything to his widow and six children, and his first wife's claim took half of his Linkin Park royaltiesChester Bennington died by suicide at 41, two months after the death of his friend Chris Cornell.loudwire.com and 4 more

Anne Heche: Anne Heche July 14, 2014 (3x4 cropped)

2022 · Los Angeles, California, USAAnne Heche's ex said a 2011 email was her will, and the court gave her estate to her 20-year-old sonAnne Heche crashed her car into a Los Angeles house in August 2022 and died days later. She left no formal will. Her older son, Homer Laffoon, 20, petitioned to run the estate.etonline.com and 3 more

Johnny Cash: Johnny Cash in a 1979 publicity photo for the CBS Television program The Johnny Cash Spring Special

2003 · Nashville, TennesseeJohnny Cash's trust sued Coca-Cola for using a tribute singer who sounds like himJohnny Cash's publicity rights belong to the John R. Cash Revocable Trust. In August 2025 Coca-Cola began airing "Go the Distance," an ad in its college football campaign.fox10phoenix.com and 2 more

Matthew Perry: Matthew Perry in support of Awareness on Drug Courts and Reduced Substance Abuse

2023 · Los Angeles, California, USAMatthew Perry died of ketamine, and his doctor, his assistant and a dealer called the "Ketamine Queen" were prosecutedMatthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing on Friends, was found dead in the hot tub at his Los Angeles home. The medical examiner found the acute effects of ketamine. Federal prosecutors charged five people with supplying it. Dr.ktvu.com and 2 more

Jayne Mansfield: Jayne Mansfield (Kiss Them For Me) - Color

1967 · U.S. Highway 90 near the Rigolets Bridge, LouisianaJayne Mansfield's estate was appraised at $600,000 in 1967; by 1977 her children found about $500,000 in debts and the estate insolventJayne Mansfield was killed at about 2:25 a.m. on 29 June 1967 when the car carrying her, her attorney and partner Sam Brody, driver Ronald Harrison and three of her children hit the rear of a tractor-trailer. The children survived.The New York Times and 2 more

Paul Walker: PaulWalkerEdit-1

2013 · Santa Clarita, CaliforniaPaul Walker left $25 million to his 15-year-old daughter, who then sued PorschePaul Walker died on November 30, 2013, as a passenger in a Porsche Carrera GT driven by his friend and business partner Roger Rodas. Police cited speed.nydailynews.com and 3 more

Sharon Tate: Sharon Tate Valley of the Dolls 1967 - Restoration

1969 · 10050 Cielo Drive, Benedict Canyon, Los AngelesAfter Sharon Tate's murder her mother Doris backed California's 1982 Victims' Bill of Rights and became the first victim's relative to speak at a state parole hearingSharon Tate, 26, married to director Roman Polanski and eight and a half months pregnant, was murdered with four others by followers of Charles Manson at 10050 Cielo Drive on 9 August 1969.the-line-up.com and 4 more

Bob Marley: Bob Marley circa 1976 (cropped)

1981 · Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, MiamiBob Marley died without a will, and his widow forged his signature to move his companies into her nameBob Marley died of cancer at 36. He left no will, a wife, Rita, and 11 children by several women. Under Jamaican intestacy law Rita received 10 percent outright and a life interest in 45 percent; the 11 children shared the rest.FindLaw Caselaw and 3 more

The Notorious B.I.G.: Image of the Notorious BIG in NY

1997 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe Notorious B.I.G.'s mother and widow co-owned his catalog; after the mother died, her trustee sued the widow and wonChristopher Wallace was shot dead in Los Angeles at 24. He left no will. His mother, Voletta Wallace, and his widow, Faith Evans, took charge of his legacy.thegrio.com and 5 more

Willie Nelson: Willie Nelson and his guitar "Trigger"

1990 · Austin and Dripping Springs, TexasThe IRS seized Willie Nelson's ranch, studio and guitars over a $16.7 million tax bill, and fans bought them backIn the early 1980s Willie Nelson put money into tax shelters promoted by his accounting firm, Price Waterhouse. The IRS began examining his returns in 1984 and disallowed the deductions.UPI and 3 more

John Wayne: John Wayne - still portrait

1979 · UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USAJohn Wayne's heirs ended an 11-year trademark fight with Duke University after agreeing that no letter of DUKE on their liquor will be blueAs a boy John Wayne took the nickname Duke from his family's Airedale terrier, also named Duke. He died of stomach cancer at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles on 11 June 1979, aged 72.ttabvue.uspto.gov and 14 more

Walt Disney: Walt Disney 1946 (cropped2)

1993 · California, USAWalt Disney's twin grandchildren split over a $400 million trust after the trustees paid one twin and refused the otherSharon Disney Lund, Walt Disney's younger daughter, set up the Lund Family Trust in 1989 and died in 1993. Her twins, Bradford and Michelle, were to receive distributions at 35, 40 and 45 if the trustees judged them ready.azcourts.gov and 4 more

Aaron Hernandez

2017 · Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, Lancaster, MassachusetAaron Hernandez's suicide wiped out his murder conviction, and two years later the state's top court put it backFormer Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was serving life for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd. Five days after he was acquitted of a separate double homicide, he was found hanged in his cell. He was 27.insurancejournal.com and 1 more

Aretha Franklin 1968: Publicity photo of Aretha Franklin from Billboard, 17 February 1968. The uploaded photo is a better quality copy of the image shown in the ad. There are no co

2018 · Detroit, Michigan, USAAretha Franklin's 2014 will was found in a notebook under her couch cushions, a jury upheld it in 2023, and her estate was still open in 2026Aretha Franklin died of pancreatic cancer on 16 August 2018, aged 76. Lawyers and family said she left no will or trust.wdet.org and 8 more

Chadwick Boseman: Chadwick Boseman by Gage Skidmore July 2017 (cropped)

2020 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaChadwick Boseman died in 2020 without a will, and his widow filed in Los Angeles to run an estate first listed at $938,500Chadwick Boseman died on 28 August 2020 of colon cancer at 43. He had married Taylor Simone Ledward shortly before his death. He left no will.today.com and 3 more

Amanda Bynes: Amanda Bynes on the Red Carpet (cropped2)

2013 · Ventura County, CaliforniaAmanda Bynes lived under her mother's conservatorship for nine yearsAmanda Bynes starred on Nickelodeon as a teenager. In 2012 and 2013 she faced driving charges in Los Angeles County, including a suspected DUI after her car clipped a sheriff's cruiser, and drug charges in New York.CNN and 1 more

Howard Hughes: Howard Hughes 1938

1976 · On a flight to Houston, Texas, USAHoward Hughes left no valid will, a jury found the Mormon will naming Melvin Dummar a forgery, and Texas and California fought over his death taxesHoward Hughes, the aviator, film producer and owner of Las Vegas casinos, died on 5 April 1976 aboard a plane from Acapulco to Houston. He was 70.Cornell Law School, LII and 11 more

Burt Reynolds: Publicity photo of Burt Reynolds from the television program Dan August.

2018 · Jupiter, FloridaBurt Reynolds's 2018 will named his son Quinton as intentionally omitted and routed his assets through a trust run by his nieceBurt Reynolds earned as much as $10 million a year at his peak, invested in restaurant chains that failed and filed for personal bankruptcy in 1996.tmz.com and 3 more

Gene Hackman: Gene Hackman in the White House, 1987

2025 · Santa Fe, New Mexico, USAGene Hackman and his wife were found dead a week apart, and his children are fighting wills that leave them nothingGene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their Santa Fe home in February 2025. Investigators reported that Arakawa died of hantavirus about a week before Hackman, who had advanced Alzheimer's disease.Rolling Stone and 3 more

Lynyrd Skynyrd: Lynyrd Skynyrd (1977)

1977 · Gillsburg, MississippiLynyrd Skynyrd's widows and survivors used a 1988 court order to block a film about the plane crash, and lost on appealA chartered plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd ran out of fuel and crashed in a Mississippi swamp. Singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and backing singer Cassie Gaines died.The Hollywood Reporter and 1 more

John Ritter: John Ritter 1977

2003 · Burbank, CaliforniaJohn Ritter's family collected $14 million in settlements, then lost a $67 million suit against two doctorsOn September 11, 2003, his daughter Stella's fifth birthday, John Ritter fell ill during rehearsals for "8 Simple Rules." He went to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, the hospital where he was born.today.com and 1 more

Courtney Love: CourtLoveRoyalGeo040325 (49 of 54) (crop)

1994 · Seattle, WashingtonA court removed 17-year-old Frances Bean Cobain from Courtney Love's care, and she took control of her father's imageKurt Cobain died by suicide in Seattle at 27. His daughter Frances Bean was 20 months old. Her mother, Courtney Love, managed the estate. In 2006 Love sold a 25 percent share of Cobain's Nirvana publishing to Primary Wave.usatoday30.usatoday.com and 2 more

Natalie Wood: Natalie Wood Allan Warren

1981 · Catalina Island, CaliforniaNatalie Wood drowned off Santa Catalina Island in 1981, and in 2012 the Los Angeles coroner changed her death certificate to "drowning and other undetermined factors"Natalie Wood, 43, was last seen on the yacht Splendour, anchored off Catalina Island, with her husband Robert Wagner, actor Christopher Walken and the boat's captain, Dennis Davern. Her body was found in the water the next morning.The Hollywood Reporter and 4 more

Marvin Gaye: Marvin Gaye in 1973

1984 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaMarvin Gaye was shot dead by his father, left no will and $9 million in debt, and his children won the "Blurred Lines" caseMarvin Gaye was shot by his father, Marvin Gay Sr., at the family home in Los Angeles the day before his 45th birthday. His father pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter and received a suspended sentence and probation.investmentnews.com and 2 more

Shannen Doherty: Shannen Doherty (cropped)

2024 · Los Angeles County, California, USAShannen Doherty signed her divorce settlement the day before she died of cancerShannen Doherty, star of Beverly Hills, 90210, filed for divorce from photographer Kurt Iswarienko in 2023 while being treated for breast cancer.CBS News and 2 more

Farrah Fawcett: Farrah Fawcett 1977

2009 · Santa Monica, CaliforniaRyan O'Neal took a Warhol portrait from Farrah Fawcett's home; her university sued and lostFarrah Fawcett studied art at the University of Texas from 1965 to 1968. Andy Warhol made two portraits of her in 1980. In 2007 she amended her living trust to leave all her "artwork and art objects" to the university.texasmonthly.com and 2 more

Andy Warhol: Andy Warhol by Bernard Gotfryd 1980

1987 · New YorkAndy Warhol's foundation valued his art at $95 million; a court said $390.9 million, and his estate lawyer was paid on the differenceWarhol died after gallbladder surgery and left most of his estate to create a foundation. His longtime manager Fred Hughes was executor. The estate's lawyer, Edward Hayes, was to be paid in line with the estate's value.The Art Newspaper and 3 more

Bill Paxton: Bill Paxton by Gage Skidmore

2017 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaBill Paxton's family sued his surgeon and Cedars-Sinai after he died following heart surgeryBill Paxton had surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on February 14, 2017, to replace an aortic valve and repair an aortic aneurysm. He died of a stroke 11 days later, at 61, according to his death certificate.Deadline and 2 more

Dennis Hopper: Dennis Hopper Cannes 2008 (cropped)

2010 · Venice, Los Angeles, CaliforniaDennis Hopper filed for divorce while dying of cancer and fought his wife over money until his deathDennis Hopper, director and co-star of "Easy Rider," had prostate cancer. In January 2010 he filed to divorce Victoria Duffy, his wife of 14 years and mother of his 6-year-old daughter, Galen.huffpost.com and 2 more

Laura Ingalls Wilder: Laura Ingalls Wilder cropped sepia2

1957 · Mansfield, MissouriLaura Ingalls Wilder left her book royalties to a Missouri library after her daughter's death; the daughter's heir renewed the copyrights, and a 2001 settlement paid the library $875,000Laura Ingalls Wilder's will left her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, the proceeds of her literary estate "during her natural life," with the Wright County library in Mansfield to receive them afterward.The Seattle Times and 2 more

Anna Nicole Smith: Anna Nicole Smith

2007 · Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Florida, UAnna Nicole Smith's body went to her 5-month-old daughter's guardian after a Florida judge wept through the ruling, and DNA named the girl's fatherAnna Nicole Smith gave birth to a daughter, Dannielynn, in the Bahamas on 7 September 2006. Three days later her son Daniel, 20, died in her hospital room. The Bahamian birth certificate named her lawyer and companion Howard K.cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov and 7 more

Kirk Douglas: Studio publicity Kirk Douglas

2020 · Beverly Hills, CaliforniaKirk Douglas left most of a $61 million estate to charity and nothing to his son MichaelKirk Douglas died at 103.Internet Archive and 3 more

Phil Hartman: Phil Hartman in character as Chick Hazard, Private Eye, circa 1978.

1998 · Encino, CaliforniaPhil Hartman was shot dead by his wife in 1998; their wills left $1.23 million to two children, and a 1999 suit blamed ZoloftBrynn Hartman shot her sleeping husband three times at about 2:30 a.m. on 28 May 1998. About four hours later, with police in the house, she killed herself. Their children, Sean, nearly 10, and Birgen, 6, were in the home.spokesman.com and 2 more

Orson Welles: Orson Welles, photographed by Carl Van Vechten

1985 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaOrson Welles's daughter Beatrice sued his partner Oja Kodar, fought her over The Other Side of the Wind, and lost her claim to the Citizen Kane copyrightOrson Welles died in Los Angeles on 10 October 1985. He left a wife, Paola Mori, and a partner of about 20 years, the Croatian actress Oja Kodar. Mori died in August 1986 after a car crash.FindLaw Caselaw and 5 more

Elon Musk: Elon Musk - 54820081119 (3x4 cropped, Rule of thirds)

2024 · Austin, TexasElon Musk gave his foundation $7.9 billion in Tesla stock in two years, and its filings show it paid out less than requiredElon and Kimbal Musk set up the Musk Foundation in 2001 with about $2.1 million in eBay shares. Its board is Elon Musk and two employees of his family office, Jared Birchall and Matilda Simon, and it has no staff.Cornell Law School, LII and 2 more

Jeffrey Epstein: Mug shot of Jeffrey Epstein, July 25 2013

2019 · Metropolitan Correctional Center, New YorkJeffrey Epstein signed his will two days before he died in jail; victims' claims cut the $577 million estate to about $107 millionJeffrey Epstein was arrested on federal sex-trafficking charges in July 2019. On 8 August 2019, in jail in Manhattan, he signed a will. He died two days later.edition.cnn.com and 11 more

Stan Lee: Stan Lee 2007 (cropped)

2018 · Los Angeles, California, USAStan Lee's last manager was charged with elder abuse after the Marvel creator diedStan Lee co-created Spider-Man, the X-Men and the Avengers. His wife, Joan, died in July 2017. In 2018 a court granted a restraining order against Keya Morgan, who had been acting as Lee's business manager.nbclosangeles.com and 2 more

Layne Staley: Layne Staley July 2, 1989

2002 · Seattle, WashingtonLayne Staley's mother was paid his Alice in Chains share for ten years, then sued his bandmates when they ended itLayne Staley died of heroin use in his Seattle home at 34. His body was not found until 20 April 2002, about two weeks later. His mother, Nancy McCallum, became the person who collected his share of Alice in Chains income.blabbermouth.net and 3 more

Bob Ross: Bob Ross publicity photo (c. 1982) (cropped)

1995 · Orlando, FloridaBob Ross left his name to his son, and his business partners won it in courtBob Ross, his wife Jane, and Annette and Walt Kowalski pooled their savings to start Bob Ross Inc. Under the company's terms, a partner's shares were split among the surviving partners at death.CourtListener and 3 more

Tom Petty: Tom Petty Live in Horsens (cropped2)

2017 · Santa Monica, CaliforniaTom Petty's daughters sued his widow for $5 million over control of his musicTom Petty died of an accidental overdose a week after finishing a 40th-anniversary tour. His widow, Dana York Petty, his second wife, whom he married in 2001, became trustee of his estate.Rolling Stone and 2 more

Brandon Lee: Brandon lee (cropped)

1993 · Wilmington, North CarolinaBrandon Lee was killed on the set of The Crow in 1993 by a bullet fragment fired from a prop gun, and his mother and fiancee settled with the producers for an undisclosed sumBrandon Lee, 28, son of Bruce Lee, was shot in the abdomen during a scene at Carolco Studios in Wilmington. The .44 Magnum was supposed to hold only blanks.history.com and 4 more

James Dean: James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (HQ)

1955 · near Cholame, CaliforniaJames Dean died without a will, his father inherited, his wrecked Porsche vanished in 1960, and his estate sued Twitter over @JamesDeanJames Dean died at 24 when his Porsche 550 Spyder hit another car near Cholame on 30 September 1955. He had made three films and no will.The Seattle Times and 5 more

Phil Spector: From Rock and Roll hall of Fame after party... March 6, 2000 N.Y.C. Copyright John Mathew Smith

2021 · California prison hospitalPhil Spector died in prison serving a murder sentence; his daughter sued his ex-wife, alleging she posed as the daughter to sell his memorabiliaPhil Spector was convicted in 2009 of the second-degree murder of actress Lana Clarkson and sentenced to 19 years to life. He died in custody at 81; his daughter Nicole said the cause was Covid-19.theblast.com and 6 more

Rosa Parks: Rosa Parks, November 1956 (cropped)

2005 · Detroit, Michigan, USARosa Parks left almost all her estate to her institute, her 13 nieces and nephews contested the will, and a 2007 settlement gave them 20 percentRosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955 for refusing to give up her bus seat. In 1999 she sued OutKast and its record labels over the 1998 song "Rosa Parks".law.resource.org and 10 more

Janis Joplin: Janis Joplin 1970

1970 · Landmark Motor Hotel, Los Angeles, CaliforniaJanis Joplin changed her will two days before she died and left $2,500 for her friends to throw a partyJanis Joplin was 27. Her road manager, John Byrne Cooke, found her in her hotel room after she missed a recording session. County coroner Thomas Noguchi ruled her death an accidental overdose of heroin compounded by alcohol.ultimateclassicrock.com and 4 more

Hedy Lamarr: Hedy Lamarr publicity photo for the film The Heavenly Body, 1944

2000 · Casselberry, FloridaHedy Lamarr's adopted son sued in Florida in 2000 over a will that left him nothing from her $3.3 million estateHedy Lamarr died aged 85 at her home in Seminole County, Florida.UPI and 3 more

Joni Mitchell: Joni Mitchell 2021 Kennedy Center Honors (cropped)

2015 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaJoni Mitchell's friend told a court the singer was unconscious while her website said she was alert, and won control of her medical careJoni Mitchell was found unconscious at her Los Angeles home and hospitalized on 31 March 2015 after a brain aneurysm. She had no family member able to act for her.bostonglobe.com and 2 more

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: Jackie Kennedy Color Portrait (3x4 cropped)

1977 · Grey Gardens, East Hampton, New YorkJacqueline Onassis paid to stop her aunt's eviction from Grey Gardens, and the house sold for $220,000 on condition it not be torn downGrey Gardens is an East Hampton house designed in 1897 by Joseph Greenleaf Thorp. Phelan Beale and his wife Edith Bouvier Beale, aunt of Jacqueline Kennedy, bought it in the 1920s.The New Yorker and 5 more

Brian Wilson: Legendary musician and songwriter, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, in Santa Monica, California in 1990. Photograph by Ithaka Darin Pappas

2025 · CaliforniaBrian Wilson was placed in a conservatorship after his wife died, while his first wife sued for half of a $50 million rights saleIn December 2021 Brian Wilson sold his songwriter share and his copyright termination interests to Universal Music Publishing Group in a deal valued at more than $50 million. The termination interest alone sold for $19.2 million.digitalmusicnews.com and 4 more

Ray Charles: Ray Charles classic piano pose

2004 · Beverly Hills, CaliforniaRay Charles gave each of his 12 children $500,000 and left the rest to a foundation; seven of them moved to take back his songsRay Charles had 12 children by several women. Before he died, he gave each child $500,000 in trust.leagle.com and 3 more

Frank Zappa: Zappa 16011977 01 300

1993 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaGail Zappa left two of her children control of Frank Zappa's estate, and Dweezil was told he could not use his own surname for his bandFrank Zappa died of prostate cancer in 1993 and left his estate to his wife, Gail, who ran it through the Zappa Family Trust. Gail died in 2015.Rolling Stone and 2 more

Debbie Reynolds: Debbie Reynolds by Beerman Parry, 1954

2016 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaDebbie Reynolds never raised the money for her Hollywood museum, sold her 3,500-item collection in 2011, and her estate auctioned more after she died a day after Carrie FisherOver about 40 years Debbie Reynolds bought props, costumes and scripts from MGM, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros. and Paramount.nbclosangeles.com and 4 more

Jean-Michel Basquiat: Jean-Michel Basquiat passport (cropped)

1988 · New YorkBasquiat died at 27; his estate shut its authentication board, and the FBI later seized 25 fake Basquiats from a museumBasquiat died of an accidental heroin overdose at his home on Great Jones Street. His estate was controlled by his father, Gérard Basquiat. No will has been reported.itsartlaw.org and 4 more

Dr. Seuss: Children's author Ted Geisel, (Dr. Seuss), three-quarter length portrait, seated at desk, facing front] / World Telegram

1991 · La Jolla, CaliforniaDr. Seuss's widow ran his licensing for 27 years; three years after her death his estate pulled six of his booksTheodor Geisel's books have sold more than 600 million copies. His widow, Audrey Geisel, oversaw his estate and licensing after his death. She died on 19 December 2018, aged 97. Licensing is controlled by Dr. Seuss Enterprises.Wikipedia (English) and 1 more

Tony Curtis: Tony Curtis 1958

2010 · Henderson, NevadaTony Curtis left everything to his wife and named his five living children to exclude themTony Curtis had six children; his son Nicholas died in 1994. About five months before his death, Curtis signed a will leaving his estate to his wife, Jill Vandenberg Curtis.insideedition.com and 2 more

Miles Davis: Miles Davis by Palumbo cropped

1991 · St. John's Hospital, Santa Monica, CaliforniaMiles Davis's will left nothing to two of his sons, and the eldest wrote a book blaming his aunt and sisterMiles Davis died at 65 of pneumonia, respiratory failure and a stroke. He was survived by his daughter Cheryl and his sons Gregory, Miles IV and Erin.digital.bentley.umich.edu and 6 more

James Brown: James Brown 1996 (HQ)

2006 · Atlanta, GeorgiaJames Brown left his fortune to educate poor children, and 15 years of lawsuits came before the estate sold for about $90 millionJames Brown died of pneumonia in Atlanta at 73. His will, signed in 2000, put his music and name rights into the "I Feel Good Trust" to pay for the education of needy children in South Carolina and Georgia.ABA Journal and 3 more

Ayn Rand: Photo portrait of Russian-American writer Ayn Rand used for the first-edition back cover of her novel The Fountainhead (1943).

1982 · New YorkAyn Rand's heir kept the first and last pages of The Fountainhead manuscript; the Library of Congress took them from his home in January 2002Ayn Rand died in 1982 and left her papers and estate to Leonard Peikoff, who as executor controls the copyrights to all her works except Anthem.peikoff.com and 2 more

Hunter S. Thompson: Hunter S. Thompson, Las Vegas 1971

2005 · Woody Creek, ColoradoHunter S. Thompson's ashes were launched from a 15-story tower at his ranch in August 2005, and a lawsuit later put the cost at $3 million paid by Johnny DeppHunter S. Thompson died at his Owl Farm home in Woody Creek, Colorado, in February 2005 by gunshot. His widow, Anita, said he left no suicide note.espn.com and 3 more

Albert Einstein Head: Albert Einstein

1955 · Princeton, New Jersey, USAAlbert Einstein's publicity rights ended in 2005, a judge ruled, defeating Hebrew University's suit over a GM ad with his face on a muscled bodyAlbert Einstein died in Princeton, New Jersey, on 18 April 1955, domiciled in that state.cacd.uscourts.gov and 5 more

Peter Falk: Peter Falk NBC 1967 You Don't Say! (cropped)

2011 · Beverly Hills, CaliforniaPeter Falk's daughter lost a conservatorship fight to his widow and then pushed for a lawPeter Falk played Columbo. He and his first wife, Alyce Mayo, adopted two daughters, Catherine and Jacqueline. In 1977 he married actress Shera Danese. After hip surgery in 2008 he developed dementia.Los Angeles Times and 1 more

Nipsey Hussle: Soundtrack Beat Battle Judging Panel March2011 (cropped)

2019 · Los Angeles, California, USANipsey Hussle was shot dead outside his store, and his family took guardianship of his daughter from her motherNipsey Hussle, born Ermias Asghedom, was shot dead in the parking lot of his store in South Los Angeles. He left no will but had set up trusts for his two children, daughter Emani and son Kross.okayplayer.com and 3 more

Johnny Carson: Johnny Carson Tonight Show 1965

2005 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaJohnny Carson's trust gave his foundation $156 million after his death, and no public accounting of his estate has appearedJohnny Carson died of emphysema in January 2005 at 79. He kept his giving private. His charity, the John W. Carson Foundation, had received about $1 million to $2 million a year from the John W. Carson Trust.thesmokinggun.com and 3 more

2011 · Palo Alto, CaliforniaSteve Jobs swore he was sterile to avoid paying for his daughter, lost on a blood test, and later left her millionsLisa Nicole Brennan was born on 17 May 1978 at a commune outside Portland, Oregon, to Chrisann Brennan and Steve Jobs. Jobs denied he was her father for more than two years.fortune.com and 2 more

Joan Crawford: JCrawford39

1977 · New York City, New YorkJoan Crawford's will left out Christina and Christopher "for reasons which are well known to them"Joan Crawford signed a new will in New York on October 28, 1976. She died in her Manhattan apartment on May 10, 1977, leaving about $2 million.Internet Archive and 6 more

Sammy Davis Jr.: Sammy Davis Jr. 1972

1990 · Beverly Hills, CaliforniaSammy Davis Jr. died owing the IRS about $7 million, and his widow lost the rights to his name and musicSammy Davis Jr. died of throat cancer at his Beverly Hills home in May 1990, aged 64. He was impoverished and deeply in debt to the IRS. The tax liabilities against his estate came to about $7 million.Deseret News and 6 more

Paul Allen: Paul G. Allen (cropped)

2018 · Seattle, Washington, USAPaul Allen's will ordered his teams sold, and his sister sold the Trail Blazers for about $4 billionPaul Allen co-founded Microsoft and owned the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers. He never married and had no children. His will required that his teams eventually be sold and the proceeds go to philanthropy.Internet Archive and 3 more

George Carlin: George Carlin 1975 (Little David Records) Publicity (cropped)

2008 · Los Angeles, California, USAGeorge Carlin's estate sued a podcast over an AI-made comedy special and won its removalIn January 2024 the podcast Dudesy, hosted by Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen, released an hour-long special called "George Carlin: I'm Glad I'm Dead," presented as an AI imitation of the comedian who had died in 2008.The New York Times and 2 more

Mickey Rooney: Mickey Rooney still

2014 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaMickey Rooney worked 90 years and left an $18,000 estate to one stepsonMickey Rooney began in his parents' vaudeville act and had the longest career of any Hollywood star. In February 2011 a Los Angeles judge ordered his stepson Chris Aber and Aber's wife, Christina, to stay 100 yards away.CNN and 2 more

Sid Vicious: Sid Vicious 1978 (cropped)

1979 · 63 Bank Street, Greenwich Village, New YorkSid Vicious asked to be buried beside Nancy Spungen; her mother said no, and his mother scattered his ashes on the grave anywaySid Vicious, born Simon John Ritchie, was charged with murdering his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, who was found stabbed at the Chelsea Hotel in October 1978. Virgin Records paid his legal fees.The Independent and 3 more

Leonard Cohen: Leonard Cohen, 1988 01

2016 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaLeonard Cohen's manager emptied his retirement fund, and after his death his children found a forged page in his trustKelley Lynch was Leonard Cohen's manager for almost 17 years, from 1988. While he lived at a Zen monastery, his retirement savings of more than $5 million fell to about $150,000.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca and 5 more

Fred Astaire: Astaire, Fred - Never Get Rich

1987 · Los Angeles, California, USAFred Astaire's widow charged fees for clips of him, lost a federal appeal over 90 seconds of film, and licensed him to a vacuum maker over his daughter's objectionFred Astaire died on 22 June 1987, aged 88. His widow, Robyn, nearly 50 years younger, inherited all rights in his name, voice and likeness under California Civil Code section 990.law.resource.org and 4 more

Doris Day: DorisDay-midnightlace-full

2019 · Carmel Valley, CaliforniaDoris Day's husband died in 1968 and she learned her lawyer and her husband had lost her earnings; a court awarded the couple $26,396,511Martin Melcher, Doris Day's third husband and business manager, died on 20 April 1968. Day then found that her money was gone.FindLaw Caselaw and 3 more

Jim Henson: Jim Henson, creator, The Muppets

1990 · New York Hospital, New YorkJim Henson died during a $150 million sale to Disney, his children ended the deal and sued Disney, and the Muppets went to Disney anyway in 2004In August 1989 Jim Henson and Disney announced on Good Morning America that Disney would buy Henson Associates for a reported $150 million. Henson died in May 1990, aged 53, before the deal closed.The Seattle Times and 4 more

Michael Crichton: MichaelCrichton 2

2008 · Los Angeles, California, USAMichael Crichton's son was born after his death and left out of his will; in 2024 his estate sued Warner Bros., calling The Pitt an ER rebootMichael Crichton, the author of "Jurassic Park," created the NBC series "ER" and secured a "frozen rights" clause barring Warner Bros. from sequels, remakes or spinoffs without his consent, or his estate's after his death.NBC News and 5 more

John Steinbeck: John Steinbeck 1939 (cropped)

1968 · New YorkA jury awarded John Steinbeck's stepdaughter more than $13 million against his son's family for blocking films of his novelsSteinbeck left his copyrights to his third wife, Elaine. His sons, Thom and John IV, received smaller bequests. Elaine and Thom fought for decades over control of the works.usatoday.com and 3 more

Truman Capote: Truman Capote by Jack Mitchell

1984 · Bel Air, Los AngelesTruman Capote's ashes were divided, stolen at a party, returned in a garden hose, and auctioned in 2016Capote died at the Bel Air home of his friend Joanne Carson, Johnny Carson's former wife. The coroner listed liver disease complicated by phlebitis and multiple drug intoxication.Wikipedia (English)

Sonny Bono: Sonny Bono

1998 · Heavenly Mountain Resort, South Lake Tahoe, California, USASonny Bono's widow used a 2016 copyright termination notice to stop paying Cher her half of his song royalties, and a federal judge ruled for CherSonny Bono died on 5 January 1998, aged 62, after hitting a tree while skiing at Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe.CourtListener and 15 more

Jim Croce: Jim Croce publicity portrait ABC Records (cropped)

1973 · Natchitoches, LouisianaJim Croce's widow sued his producers and their lawyer over the contracts he signed in 1968, and won only against the lawyerOn 17 September 1968 Jim and Ingrid Croce signed three contracts with companies run by Terry Cashman, Tommy West and the lawyer Philip Kurnit: a recording contract, a publishing contract and a personal management contract.quimbee.com and 2 more

Scott Weiland: Scott Weiland onstage with a mic--2009-07

2015 · Bloomington, MinnesotaScott Weiland's 2007 will made his ex-wife executor over his widow, and she spent years settling his tax liens and lawsuitsScott Weiland died on his tour bus at 48 from an overdose of cocaine, alcohol and MDA. He had a will signed in 2007, the year he divorced Mary Forsberg.lanacion.com.ar and 5 more

Donna Summer: Donna Summer in 1982

2012 · Naples, FloridaDonna Summer's estate refused Kanye West permission to use "I Feel Love," sued when he used it anyway, and made him agree never to distribute the songDonna Summer died of cancer in 2012 at 63. Her husband, Bruce Sudano, became executor and controls her catalog. Before the album came out, Kanye West asked to use "I Feel Love," the 1977 track Summer recorded with Giorgio Moroder.thegrio.com and 3 more

L. Ron Hubbard: L. Ron Hubbard in 1950 (cropped 3x4)

1986 · Creston, San Luis Obispo County, CaliforniaL. Ron Hubbard was cremated and his ashes scattered at sea within a day of his death in January 1986, after his son had sued to have him declared deadL. Ron Hubbard had not been seen in public for six years when he died of a stroke at 8 p.m. on 24 January 1986, in a motor home on his ranch near Creston. He was 74. In November 1982 his eldest son, Ronald DeWolf (born L.cs.cmu.edu and 4 more

Dale Earnhardt: Dale Earnhardt visits Langley AFB

2001 · Daytona International Speedway, FloridaDale Earnhardt's widow got Florida to seal his autopsy photos, and 18 states copied the lawDale Earnhardt, seven-time NASCAR champion, died in a last-lap crash at the Daytona 500. His autopsy photographs were public records under Florida law, and newspapers sought them.NBC News and 3 more

Elliott Smith: Elliott Smith

2003 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaElliott Smith's partner sued his estate for lifetime support, and a talent-agent law voided their whole agreementElliott Smith died at 34 of a stab wound to the chest in the home he shared with Jennifer Chiba. The coroner's report said some findings were "atypical of suicide" and raised the possibility of homicide.dir.ca.gov and 2 more

Stevie Ray Vaughan: Stevie Ray Vaughan Live 1983

1990 · East Troy, WisconsinStevie Ray Vaughan's mother and brother sued the helicopter company; his fiancée was left out of the estate, and thieves later took his belongings from Jimmie's storage unitAfter an Alpine Valley concert with Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan took the last seat on the third of four Omniflight helicopters. His brother, Jimmie, was meant to fly. The Bell 206B left in fog at 1 a.m.orlandosentinel.com and 4 more

Zsa Zsa Gabor: Zsa Zsa Gabor - 1959

2016 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaZsa Zsa Gabor's husband ran her estate as conservator and moved most of her ashes to BudapestZsa Zsa Gabor married nine times. Her last husband, Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt, married her in 1986 and became conservator of her estate.tmz.com and 3 more

Louis Armstrong: Louis Armstrong in Color (restored)

1971 · Queens, New YorkLouis Armstrong's will said he had no children, his widow's nieces contested her will, and his letter called a girl born in 1955 his "Little Satchmo"Louis Armstrong left $5,000 each to his sister and his cousin and the rest to his widow, Lucille.wealthmanagement.com and 3 more

Sam Cooke: Sam Cooke 2

1964 · Hacienda Motel, Los AngelesSam Cooke was shot by a motel manager who then sued his estate, and his manager's company already owned his recordingsSam Cooke was shot in the chest at the Hacienda Motel in South Los Angeles. Manager Bertha Franklin said he forced his way into her office and grabbed her.Internet Archive and 2 more

Jerry Lewis: Jerry Lewis (Paramount photo by Bud Fraker)

2017 · Las Vegas, NevadaJerry Lewis's will excluded all six sons from his first marriage and their childrenJerry Lewis had six sons with his first wife, Patti Palmer: Gary, Ronald, Scott, Christopher, Anthony and Joseph. Joseph died in 2009. Lewis and his second wife, SanDee Pitnick, adopted a daughter, Danielle.avclub.com and 1 more

Arthur Miller: Arthur Miller 1966

2005 · Roxbury, ConnecticutArthur Miller kept his son Daniel with Down syndrome out of public view and left him an equal share of the estate six weeks before he diedDaniel Miller was born in 1966 with Down syndrome. Around age four he was placed in the Southbury Training School in Connecticut, an institution later cited for dangerous conditions.NPR and 3 more

Jimmy Buffett navy (cropped): Jimmy Buffett navy (cropped)

2023 · Sag Harbor, New York, USAJimmy Buffett left his widow a $275 million trust with his accountant as co-trustee, and each has asked a court to remove the otherJimmy Buffett died at his home in Sag Harbor, New York, on 1 September 2023, aged 76.cdn.theconversation.com and 8 more

Jerry Lee Lewis: Jerry Lee Lewis publicity photo, 1950s

2022 · Nesbit, MississippiJerry Lee Lewis put his ranch in his manager's name to hide it from the IRS; after he died, a judge ordered his son out and the manager's heirs listed it for $1.6 millionJerry Lee Lewis died at 87 at the Lewis Ranch, a 30-acre property in Nesbit, south of Memphis.savingcountrymusic.com and 4 more

Jerry Garcia: Jerry-Garcia-01cropped

1995 · Serenity Knolls treatment center, Forest Knolls, CaliforniaJerry Garcia's widow barred his ex-wives from his funeral and stopped paying his $5 million divorce settlementJerry Garcia died of a heart attack at a drug treatment center. His third wife, filmmaker Deborah Koons, whom he had married in 1994, became co-executor. At the funeral on 12 August 1995 she barred two of his former wives.us.cnn.com and 3 more

Ricky Nelson: Decca Records Rick Nelson 1966

1985 · De Kalb, TexasRicky Nelson died in a plane fire owing money; his ex-wife tried to take over the estate, lost, then fought her brother Mark Harmon for custody of their sonRick Nelson and his fiancée Helen Blair died when his DC-3 caught fire and crashed in Texas. He was 45.UPI and 4 more

Little Richard: Little Richard performing at the University of Texas Forty Acres Festival in 2007.

2020 · Tullahoma, TennesseeLittle Richard's brother emailed the buyer about elder abuse and racism, the buyer withdrew its offer for the estate's rights, and the court took away his shareRichard Wayne Penniman died at 87.tncourts.gov and 2 more

Glenn Frey: Glenn Frey circa 1975

2016 · New York, New YorkGlenn Frey's widow sued Mount Sinai for his death and was ordered to hand over the Eagles' contractsGlenn Frey died at 67 of complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia.law.justia.com and 5 more

O.J. Simpson 1990 · DN-ST-91-03444: NBC Sports commentator and former professional football player O. J. Simpson sits with a group of servicemen to watch a Thanksgiving Day footbal

2024 · Las Vegas, Nevada, USAO.J. Simpson paid little of the $33.5 million judgment while alive, and in 2025 his executor accepted a $58 million claim from Ron Goldman's fatherO.J. Simpson was acquitted in 1995 of the 12 June 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. In 1997 a civil jury found him liable, and the families won a $33.5 million judgment.findlaw.com and 2 more

Hank Williams: Hank Williams Promotional Photo

1953 · Oak Hill, West VirginiaHank Williams' daughter was born five days after his death, made a ward of the state, and won half his estate 34 years laterHank Williams died in the back seat of his car at 29. Three months earlier he had signed an agreement giving him custody of the child Bobbie Jett was carrying. Antha Belle Jett was born in Montgomery on 6 January 1953.people.com and 2 more

XXXTentacion: Xxxtentacion (cropped)

2018 · Deerfield Beach, FloridaXXXTentacion was shot dead at 20, and his son was born seven months later outside his willJahseh Onfroy, the rapper XXXTentacion, was shot dead outside a motorcycle dealership in Deerfield Beach, aged 20. The killers took $50,000 from him.nbcmiami.com and 2 more

Dimebag Darrell: Dimebag at Monsters of Rock 1994

2004 · Columbus, OhioDimebag Darrell was shot dead on stage with no will; his girlfriend of two decades was left out, later took over his estate's trust, and lost most of its suit against Dean Guitars in 2026Darrell Abbott was shot on stage at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus during a Damageplan show. He left no will.blabbermouth.net and 4 more

Evel Knievel: Evel Knievel c1974cr

2007 · Clearwater, Florida, USAEvel Knievel's family company sued Disney over Toy Story 4's Duke Caboom, and two federal courts held the toy daredevil transformed his likenessEvel Knievel died of lung disease in Clearwater, Florida, on 30 November 2007, aged 69.worldipreview.com and 7 more

Glen Campbell: Glen Campbell 1967

2017 · Nashville, TennesseeGlen Campbell's wills cut out three of his eight children, and they challenged his capacity after Alzheimer'sGlen Campbell, who sang "Rhinestone Cowboy," was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and died in 2017. His widow, Kimberly, filed a 2006 will naming herself executor. It left the estate to her and five of his eight children.newschannel5.com and 2 more

Frank Lloyd Wright: Frank Lloyd Wright portrait

1959 · Phoenix, ArizonaFrank Lloyd Wright's grave in Wisconsin was emptied 26 years after his burial, and his body was cremated for ArizonaWright was buried in Wisconsin, near Taliesin, his home and school at Spring Green, beside members of his family. His third wife, Olgivanna, led the Taliesin Fellowship after his death.arabnews.pk and 4 more

Dennis Wilson: Dennis Wilson 1982 (portrait crop)

1983 · Marina del Rey, CaliforniaDennis Wilson's estranged wife had him buried at sea with White House help, against his brother's plan to bury him beside their fatherDennis Wilson drowned at 39 while diving in the marina for objects he believed were on the bottom. His blood alcohol level was 0.26. He had lost his boat, the Harmony, had no car, and had been without a home for about a month.reaganlibrary.gov and 2 more

Michael Oher: Michael Oher 2016 (cropped)

2023 · Memphis, Tennessee, USAMichael Oher of "The Blind Side" learned he was never adopted, and a judge ended the Tuohy conservatorshipMichael Oher played eight seasons in the NFL and his life became the film The Blind Side.today.com and 2 more

Rick James: Rick James in Lifestyles of the Rich 1984

2004 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaRick James's trust was sued for $50 million by a woman who says he raped her at 15 in a Buffalo group homeRick James, born James Ambrose Johnson Jr. in Buffalo, died in Los Angeles in 2004 at 56. He is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo. His estate went on earning.btpm.org and 4 more

Lil Peep: Lil-Peep PrettyPuke Photoshoot

2017 · Tucson, Arizona (tour bus)Lil Peep's mother sued his management company for wrongful death and settled with control of his musicGustav Åhr, known as Lil Peep, died at 21 of an accidental overdose on his tour bus before a show in Tucson.foxla.com and 1 more

Jim Thorpe: Jim Thorpe 1913b-cr

1953 · Lomita, CaliforniaJim Thorpe's widow sold his body to two Pennsylvania towns, which renamed themselves after himJim Thorpe, a Sac and Fox citizen, won the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympics. He died in California in 1953 and was due to be buried in Oklahoma.penntoday.upenn.edu and 3 more

Joan Rivers: Joan Rivers 1966 Press photo

2014 · Mount Sinai Hospital, Manhattan, New York, USAJoan Rivers's executors sued the Manhattan clinic where she stopped breathing during a throat procedure and settled in 2016 for an undisclosed sumOn 28 August 2014 Joan Rivers, 81, went to Yorkville Endoscopy in Manhattan for a laryngoscopy and upper endoscopy under propofol sedation to check voice changes and acid reflux. She stopped breathing during the procedure.amp.insurancejournal.com and 6 more

Liberace: Liberace 18 Allan Warren

1987 · The Cloisters, Palm Springs, CaliforniaLiberace's doctor signed a death certificate that hid AIDS; the coroner pulled his embalmed body back for an autopsyIn 1982 Scott Thorson, Liberace's former chauffeur and live-in companion, sued him for $113 million in what was reported as palimony. Liberace said under oath in 1984 that Thorson was never his lover.Los Angeles Times and 5 more

Tom Clancy: Tom Clancy at Burns Library cropped

2013 · Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, USATom Clancy signed a codicil 68 days before he died, and the top court of Maryland ruled 4 to 3 that it freed his widow's family trust from estate taxTom Clancy, the thriller writer, was the biggest minority investor in the group that bought the Baltimore Orioles in 1993, and split his stake with his first wife, Wanda, in their 1999 divorce.mdcourts.gov and 3 more

Billie Holiday: Portrait of Billie Holiday and Mister, Downbeat, New York, N.Y., ca. Feb. 1947 (LOC, 5020400274, cropped)

1959 · Metropolitan Hospital, New YorkBillie Holiday died under arrest in a hospital bed with 70 cents in the bankBillie Holiday was admitted to Metropolitan Hospital on 31 May 1959 with cirrhosis and heart disease. Federal narcotics agents said they found heroin in her room, put her under arrest in her bed, and posted a police guard.legacy.com and 2 more

Anthony Quinn: Anthony Quinn around the 1960s

2001 · Boston, MassachusettsAnthony Quinn bought 29 acres on Rhodes in 1960, a Greek court cancelled the sale in 1984, and he died before he was repaidAfter filming on Rhodes, Anthony Quinn bought about 29 acres at Ladiko in 1960 for about £1,500. His lawyer said Queen Frederica and the prime minister endorsed the deal.tovima.com and 4 more

Jack Kerouac: Kerouac by Palumbo 2 (cropped)

1969 · St. Petersburg, FloridaA Florida judge ruled that the will giving Jack Kerouac's estate to his widow's family was forged, and the ruling changed nothingKerouac left his estate to his mother, Gabrielle. She died in 1973. A will dated 1973 in her name left everything to Stella Sampas Kerouac, Jack's third wife.nbcmiami.com and 3 more

Gary Coleman: GaryColemanE3May05

2010 · Provo, UtahA Utah judge ruled Gary Coleman's ex-wife was not his common-law wife; his ashes were locked in a vaultGary Coleman starred as a child in "Diff'rent Strokes." In 1989 he sued his adoptive parents and a former adviser for misusing his trust fund and won a $1.28 million judgment in 1993.CNN and 1 more

Patsy Cline: Patsy Cline promotional photograph, circa 1957.

1963 · near Camden, Tennessee (plane crash)Patsy Cline's brother sued her sister over Patsy's stage clothes, and a judge ordered the dresses sold to pay the lawyerPatsy Cline was 30 when her plane went down in Tennessee. Her mother, Hilda Hensley, sewed many of her stage costumes and kept her clothing and papers in Winchester, Virginia. Hilda Hensley died around late 2000.oocities.org and 2 more

Redd Foxx: Redd Foxx 1966

1991 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe IRS seized Redd Foxx's Las Vegas home, seven vehicles and bank accounts in 1989, and his estate was still in probate with an IRS lien in 2006On 28 November 1989 at least 17 IRS agents arrived at Redd Foxx's home near the Las Vegas Strip and gave him two minutes to open the door, according to UPI.probatelawyerblog.com and 4 more

Casey Kasem

2014 · St. Anthony's Hospital, Gig Harbor, WashingtonCasey Kasem's wife and children fought over his care until he died, then she took his body to NorwayCasey Kasem, host of "American Top 40", had Lewy body dementia in his last years. His second wife, Jean, and his three children from his first marriage, Kerri, Julie and Mike, fought over his care.abc7.com and 3 more

John Coltrane: Amerikaanse jazz-saxofonist John Coltrane op Schiphol aangekomen. John Coltrane

1967 · Huntington, New YorkA cousin with only a life estate sold John Coltrane's Philadelphia house for $100,000, and his sons sued to take it backJohn Coltrane bought 1511 North 33rd Street in Philadelphia's Strawberry Mansion neighborhood in 1952. In 1958 he and his first wife, Naima, gave it to his mother, Alice Gertrude Coltrane. She died on 4 September 1977.inquirer.com and 2 more

Fred Trump Jr.: Fred Trump Jr. 1966 (cropped)

1999 · New Hyde Park, New York, USAFred Trump's grandchildren contested his will in 2000, and Donald Trump and 2 siblings cut off health insurance for them and an ailing babyFred Trump, the father of Donald Trump, died at Long Island Jewish Medical Center on 25 June 1999, aged 93. On 23 March 2000 his grandchildren Mary L.gibsondunn.com and 4 more

Harry Nilsson: Trade ad for Harry Nilsson's single "Many Rivers To Cross".To better adapt it to his respective Wikipedia article, the ad was cropped and cleaned in a graphics editi

1994 · Agoura Hills, CaliforniaHarry Nilsson's business manager stole his savings, and he died in Chapter 11 owing 75 creditorsHarry Nilsson was a millionaire before 30 and signed a $5 million record deal in the early 1970s, one of the largest of the time. He believed he was worth $5 million.The Seattle Times and 2 more

Bill Gates: Bill Gates at the European Commission - P067383-987995 (cropped) 5

2025 · Seattle, WashingtonBill Gates said in May 2025 the Gates Foundation will spend its endowment and close on 31 December 2045Bill and Melinda Gates built the largest US private foundation, holding its assets in the Gates Foundation Trust.The New York Times and 3 more

Tony Bennett: Tony Bennett 2002

2023 · New YorkTony Bennett's daughters sued their brother, his manager and trustee, saying a man who earned $100 million left under $7 millionTony Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016 and died in July 2023, at 96. His son Danny Bennett was his manager, held his power of attorney and became trustee of the family trust.news4jax.com and 3 more

Lana Turner: Lana Turner 1940s publicity portrait

1995 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaLana Turner left her daughter $50,000 and the rest of a $1.7 million trust to her maid of 45 yearsIn 1958 Lana Turner's 14-year-old daughter, Cheryl Crane, stabbed Turner's lover, Johnny Stompanato, to death in Turner's home. The killing was ruled justifiable homicide.Los Angeles Times and 1 more

Rupert Murdoch: Rupert Murdoch - Flickr - Eva Rinaldi Celebrity and Live Music Photographer

2023 · Reno, Nevada, USARupert Murdoch tried to rewrite his family trust so Lachlan would control his companies, and a Nevada commissioner found they acted in bad faithWhen Rupert Murdoch divorced his second wife, Anna Torv, in 1999, she demanded that control of the business be split equally between him and their children, ABC News (Australia) reported on 21 September 2024.washoecourts.com and 8 more

Mark Twain: Mark Twain by AF Bradley (cropped 2)

1910 · Redding, ConnecticutMark Twain fired his secretary Isabel Lyon in 1909 and wrote 429 pages accusing her and her husband, a text kept private until 2015Isabel Lyon became Twain's secretary in 1902. After his wife Olivia died in 1904 she moved into his house, paid allowances to his daughters Clara and Jean, and helped supervise the building of Stormfield.lynncullen.com and 1 more

Naomi Judd: Naomi Judd AHA (cropped)

2022 · her home in TennesseeNaomi Judd's will named her husband executor, and her family sued to keep the police file on her death sealedNaomi Judd died by suicide at her Tennessee home on 30 April 2022, at 76. Her will, dated 20 November 2017, named her husband, Larry Strickland, as executor.NBC News and 5 more

Raymond Burr: Raymond-Burr-1968-cropped

1993 · his ranch on West Dry Creek Road, near Healdsburg, CaliforniRaymond Burr left everything to his partner Robert Benevides, and a judge threw out his niece's claim of undue influence in 1994Raymond Burr died of cancer on his 40-acre ranch near Healdsburg on 12 September 1993, aged 76.pressdemocrat.com and 3 more

Gore Vidal: GoreVidalVanVechten1 (cropped)

2012 · Hollywood Hills, Los AngelesGore Vidal changed his trust in 2011 to leave everything to Harvard, and his half-sister and nephew suedGore Vidal's original will left everything to Howard Austen, his partner of 53 years, who died in 2003. In 2011 Vidal amended his trust to name Harvard University sole heir, though he never attended it.washingtonian.com and 3 more

J. D. Salinger: J. D. Salinger (Catcher in the Rye portrait)

2010 · Cornish, New HampshireJ.D. Salinger blocked an unauthorised Catcher in the Rye sequel, and his estate settled to keep it out of North America until the copyright endsIn 2009 the Swedish writer Fredrik Colting published 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye, featuring an aged Holden Caulfield. Salinger sued, and a federal judge in New York blocked US publication. Salinger died in January 2010.publishersweekly.com and 2 more

Jackson Pollock: Jackson Pollock by Hans Namuth (cropped)

1956 · East Hampton (Springs), New YorkJackson Pollock's mistress Ruth Kligman claimed he painted Red, Black & Silver for her weeks before his 1956 crash, and his widow Lee Krasner and the Pollock-Krasner board rejected itOn 11 August 1956 Pollock, aged 44, drove his Oldsmobile with two passengers, Edith Metzger and his mistress, the artist Ruth Kligman, less than a mile from his home. The car crashed. Pollock and Metzger died. Kligman survived.The Art Newspaper and 3 more

Harper Lee: Photo portrait of Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird dust jacket, 1960)

2016 · Monroeville, AlabamaHarper Lee's second novel was published when she was frail and her lawyer controlled her affairs; her will stayed sealed until The New York Times suedLee published one novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, in 1960. In 2015 HarperCollins published Go Set a Watchman, an earlier manuscript.thebookseller.com and 3 more

Groucho Marx: Groucho Marx - portrait

1977 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaGroucho Marx's companion lost the fight over his estate, and his heirs lost the rights to his actErin Fleming, an aspiring actress, went to work for Groucho Marx after a series of assistants quit. Producer Jerry Davis referred her. She moved from errands to managing his business and his public appearances.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 2 more

Bradley Nowell: Bradley Nowell, deceased lead singer of Long Beach rock group 'Sublime' is shown here at KROQ's Weenie Roast 1995. Friends and family recently held a concert to ben

1996 · San Francisco, CaliforniaBradley Nowell had registered the name Sublime to himself, and his estate got a federal injunction against his own bandmatesBradley Nowell died of a heroin overdose at 28, two months before Sublime's major-label album came out. He had registered the trademark Sublime in his own name.news.pollstar.com and 4 more

Warren Buffett: Warren Buffett at the 2015 SelectUSA Investment Summit (cropped)

2024 · Omaha, Nebraska, USAWarren Buffett's will once named the Gates Foundation; he removed it in 2024 and stopped his lifetime gifts to it in 2026Warren Buffett began giving away his Berkshire Hathaway shares under a 2006 pledge. The Gates Foundation was his largest recipient and was once named in his will.wowt.com and 4 more

Ike Turner: Ike Turner 1971

2007 · San Marcos, CaliforniaIke Turner wrote two handwritten wills and revoked one; a judge found he died with no valid willLess than a week after Ike Turner died, his ex-wife Audrey Madison Turner filed a handwritten will he wrote in October 2007 naming her a beneficiary. They had married in October 2006; he filed for divorce two months later.sandiegouniontribune.com and 1 more

Bob Crane: Bob Crane Colonel Hogan 1969

1978 · Scottsdale, ArizonaBob Crane was bludgeoned to death in 1978, left everything to his estranged second wife, and the 1994 acquittal and 2016 DNA retest never named a killerBob Crane was found beaten to death in a Scottsdale apartment on 29 June 1978 while touring in the play Beginner's Luck. An electrical cord was tied around his neck. No forced entry was found and nothing of value was missing.CNN and 3 more

Randy Rhoads: RandyRhoads1980

1982 · Leesburg, FloridaRandy Rhoads's mother gave filmmakers his photos for a documentary that never came out, and an appeals court let them publish a book insteadRandy Rhoads was killed at 25 when a small plane carrying him clipped Ozzy Osbourne's tour bus and crashed. His mother, Delores Rhoads, and siblings Kathryn Rhoads D'Argenzio and Kelle Rhoads controlled his estate.blabbermouth.net and 4 more

Larry King: Larry King in 2006 (cropped)

2021 · Los Angeles, California, USALarry King's handwritten 2019 will left his estate to five children, two of whom died before him, and his estranged wife Shawn contested itLarry King married Shawn Southwick in 1997 and filed for divorce in August 2019.wsbtv.com and 3 more

Paul Newman: Paul Newman - 1958

2008 · Westport, ConnecticutPaul Newman left his food company to a foundation run by his adviser, his daughter said the family was pushed out, and Congress changed the law for itIn 1982 Paul Newman and A.E. Hotchner started Newman's Own with $20,000 each, and all its after-tax profits went to charity.Cornell Law School, LII and 2 more

Jack Kirby: Jack-Kirby art-of-jack-kirby wyman-skaar

1994 · Thousand Oaks, CaliforniaJack Kirby's heirs served 45 copyright termination notices on Marvel; the Second Circuit ruled his work was for hire in 2013 and the case settled in 2014Jack Kirby drew Marvel comics from 1958 to 1963 under the 1909 Copyright Act. His heirs, including Lisa, Neal, Barbara and Susan Kirby, sent Marvel 45 notices to terminate his transfer of rights in those comics.leagle.com and 3 more

Gram Parsons

1973 · Joshua Tree Inn, Yucca Valley, CaliforniaGram Parsons' road manager stole his body from Los Angeles airport and burned it in Joshua TreeGram Parsons died at 26 of a morphine and alcohol overdose at the Joshua Tree Inn. His stepfather, Bob Parsons, arranged a private burial in New Orleans.americansongwriter.com and 3 more

Wendy Williams: Wendy Williams WBLS 2022 (cropped)

2022 · New York, USAWendy Williams has been under a guardianship since 2022 and is still asking a New York court to end itWendy Williams hosted a daily talk show for 13 years. In 2022 a New York court placed her under guardianship, and lawyer Sabrina Morrissey became her guardian.atlantablackstar.com and 3 more

Isaac Hayes: Issac Hayes 1998

2008 · Memphis, TennesseeIsaac Hayes lost his song royalties to a bank in bankruptcy; his heirs took one song back and sued Donald Trump over itIn September 1974 Isaac Hayes sued Stax for $5.3 million in unpaid royalties. A three-way settlement freed him from Stax and gave Union Planters Bank the right to collect his royalties and apply them to his debts.tnwb.uscourts.gov and 4 more

Tammy Wynette: Tammy Wynette 1977 (cropped)

1998 · Nashville, TennesseeTammy Wynette's daughters sued her husband for $50 million, and her body was exhumed for an autopsyTammy Wynette died at 55 at her Nashville home. Her physician, Dr. Wallis Marsh, gave a blood clot as the cause. No autopsy was done. Her husband and manager, George Richey, controlled her affairs.mtv.com and 2 more

Lenny Bruce: Lenny Bruce 1961

1966 · Hollywood Hills, Los AngelesLenny Bruce died broke in 1966 with an appeal pending, and New York pardoned him in 2003On 4 November 1964 a New York court found Lenny Bruce and club owner Howard Solomon guilty of obscenity. On 21 December 1964 he was sentenced to four months in a workhouse and freed on bail pending appeal.Internet Archive and 4 more

Norman Rockwell: Rockwell-Norman-LOC

1978 · Stockbridge, Massachusetts, USANorman Rockwell's sons sued to stop the Berkshire Museum selling paintings he gave it, and Shuffleton's Barbershop went to George Lucas's museumWhile living in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Norman Rockwell gave 2 of his paintings to the Berkshire Museum in nearby Pittsfield: Shaftsbury Blacksmith Shop (1940), also called Blacksmith's Boy, Heel and Toe, and Shuffleton's Barbershop (1950).berkshiremuseum.org and 10 more

Bela Lugosi: Lugosi Béla fortepan 14652 (cropped)

1956 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaBela Lugosi's widow and son sued Universal over Dracula merchandise and lost in 1979Bela Lugosi played Count Dracula on Broadway in 1927 and in Universal's 1931 film. His September 1930 contract granted Universal certain rights. He died in 1956. His will left his son $1,000 in cash and some land in Elsinore.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 2 more

Barry White: Barry White, Bestanddeelnr 927-0098 (cropped)

2003 · Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USABarry White never divorced the wife he separated from in 1988; she became his executor, and 2 of his children later sued her over stopped paymentsBarry White married Glodean James, a singer in his group Love Unlimited, in 1974. They reportedly separated in 1988 but stayed legally married.thegrio.com and 3 more

Etta James: Etta James04

2012 · Riverside Community Hospital, Riverside, CaliforniaEtta James's husband and her son fought in court over her $1 million while she was dying of leukemiaEtta James married Artis Mills in 1969. Mills spent several years in prison after taking sole blame for drugs in an arrest that also involved James.thegrio.com and 4 more

Juan Gabriel: Juan Gabriel in 1985 (cropped)

2016 · Santa Monica, CaliforniaJuan Gabriel left everything to one son, and a man claiming to be another son asked a court for part of his remainsJuan Gabriel, born Alberto Aguilera Valadez, wrote more than 1,800 songs. He died of a heart attack in Santa Monica at 66. His son Iván Aguilera was named sole beneficiary.loeb.com and 2 more

Ted Williams: Ted Williams (cropped)

2002 · Inverness, Florida, USATed Williams's will asked for his ashes to be scattered at sea, two of his children had him frozen in Arizona, and an ex-employee said his head was severedTed Williams, the Boston Red Sox hitter, died of cardiac arrest in Inverness, Florida, on 5 July 2002, aged 83.Internet Archive and 14 more

Zaha Hadid: Zaha Hadid in Heydar Aliyev Cultural center in Baku nov 2013

2016 · Miami, FloridaZaha Hadid's business partner sued her three co-executors in London over a roughly £70 million estate and lost a key ruling in November 2020Zaha Hadid died in Miami on 31 March 2016. Her will named four executors: Patrik Schumacher, her partner at Zaha Hadid Architects, Rana Hadid, developer Peter Palumbo and artist Brian Clarke.The National Archives, Find Case Law and 3 more

Gene Roddenberry: Gene roddenberry 1976

1991 · Santa Monica, CaliforniaGene Roddenberry's first wife sued his estate for Star Trek profits and lost 2-1 on appeal in 1996; his widow's 2009 trust left their son $60 million and the dogs a $4 million home trustGene Roddenberry divorced Eileen Roddenberry in 1969, when Star Trek was a commercial flop. Their agreement gave her one-half of future profits from "Star Trek" without defining the term.Deseret News and 2 more

Jerry Buss: Jerry Buss playing the WSOP

2013 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaJerry Buss's sons tried to vote their sister off the Lakers board; she went to court and removed one of them as trusteeJerry Buss bought the Lakers in 1979 and placed his controlling stake in a family trust for his six children. The trust named his daughter Jeanie Buss as controlling owner and the team's representative to the NBA.espn.com and 2 more

Eugene O'Neill: Eugene O’Neill, Nobel laureate in Literature 1936

1953 · Boston, MassachusettsEugene O'Neill disowned his daughter Oona in 1943, and his widow Carlotta released Long Day's Journey Into Night in 1956 against his 25-year banEugene O'Neill died in a Boston hotel on 27 November 1953, aged 65. He had disowned his daughter Oona in 1943 after she married Charlie Chaplin, and never saw her again. His son Eugene Jr. died by suicide in 1950.theatermania.com and 2 more

Suicide of Christine Chubbuck: Christine Chubbuck 1974 (HQ)

1974 · Sarasota, FloridaChristine Chubbuck shot herself on live television in 1974, and her station's tape has been held privately sinceOn 15 July 1974 Christine Chubbuck, a reporter and host at WXLT-TV in Sarasota, spoke on camera about an attempted suicide after a film reel failed. She shot herself during Suncoast Digest.aol.com and 2 more

Dylan Thomas: Dylan Thomas icon Blashford 1937

1953 · St Vincent's Hospital, New YorkDylan Thomas lost the Under Milk Wood manuscript in a Soho pub, his producer found it and sold it for £2,000, and his widow Caitlin lost her suit to get it backDylan Thomas lost his Under Milk Wood manuscript in a Cardiff hotel in March 1953 and got it back. In October 1953 he lost the finished original in a Soho pub.archives.library.wales and 4 more

Townes Van Zandt: Singer-Songwriter Townes Van Zandt in Concert at "Kult" Niederstetten, Germany

1997 · Smyrna, TennesseeTownes Van Zandt's ex-wife ran his estate, his eldest son questioned her title to the songs, and the family spent 11 years fighting the label that held his mastersTownes Van Zandt wrote "Pancho and Lefty" and "If I Needed You" and died on New Year's Day 1997, aged 52. He had married Jeanene Van Zandt around 1983 and divorced her in 1994.austinchronicle.com and 2 more

Joe Louis: Joe Louis by van Vechten

1981 · Las Vegas, NevadaJoe Louis owed the IRS more than $1 million and ended his life as a casino greeter in Las VegasJoe Louis held the world heavyweight title from 1937 to 1949. During World War II he gave purses from title fights to military relief funds and served in the US Army, fighting exhibition bouts for troops.nmaahc.si.edu and 3 more

Jackie Coogan: Jackie Coogan 1962

1984 · CaliforniaJackie Coogan earned $3 million as a child; $252,000 was left when he sued his motherJackie Coogan became a star in Charlie Chaplin's The Kid (1921). In June 1922 his parents asked a Los Angeles court to approve their guardianship of his fortune, and his mother posted a $100,000 bond.gov.ca.gov and 1 more

Nichelle Nichols: Nichelle Nichols (4505899674) (cropped)

2022 · Silver City, New MexicoNichelle Nichols's son became her conservator in 2019 and fought her manager in court; after her 2022 death a jury awarded her family $13 million, capped at $400,000Nichelle Nichols was diagnosed with dementia in early 2018. After a dispute over her manager and caretaker, Gilbert Bell, her son Kyle Johnson petitioned for conservatorship, and a Los Angeles court granted it in January 2019.abqjournal.com and 4 more

F. Scott Fitzgerald: Photo portrait of writer F. Scott Fitzgerald used in a year-long print advertising campaign for the Woodbury Soap Company, in which Fitzgerald featured as one

1940 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaF. Scott Fitzgerald left an estate of about $35,000 in 1940, and the Catholic church refused his burial plot until his daughter petitioned in 1975F. Scott Fitzgerald died of a heart attack in Los Angeles on 21 December 1940, aged 44. Gatsby had sold fewer than 23,000 copies by the end of 1925, and his book royalties were $80 in 1936.blogs.library.duke.edu and 3 more

AI illustration: A photographer's loft on Bond Street, New York, with prints and a camera on a long table, 1989

1989 · BostonRobert Mapplethorpe inherited three quarters of Sam Wagstaff's $7 million estate over the sister's challenge, left his own parents nothing, and was tried posthumously in CincinnatiCurator Sam Wagstaff died on 14 January 1987. His estate was worth upward of $7 million. Mapplethorpe received three quarters and Wagstaff's partner Jim Nelson the rest.mentalfloss.com and 4 more

Mercer Ellington: Mercer Ellington (cropped)

1974 · New York CityDuke Ellington's grandchildren beat their father's estate for his royalties, then lost to EMI over foreign earningsOn 19 December 1961 Duke Ellington signed a copyright renewal agreement with Mills Music. It bound all his heirs and gave the publisher the renewal rights to his songs.nycourts.gov and 5 more

Mark Rothko: Consuelo Kanaga (American, 1894-1978). Mark Rothko, Yorktown Heights, ca. 1949. Gelatin silver photograph, 10 x 8in. (25.4 x 20.3cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Wallace

1970 · New York CityMark Rothko's executors sold 798 of his paintings to a gallery one of them worked for, and his 19-year-old daughter suedMark Rothko killed himself in his New York studio. His will left nearly everything to the Mark Rothko Foundation. His three executors were Bernard Reis, the painter Theodoros Stamos and Morton Levine.rothko.nga.gov and 3 more

Jaco Pastorius: Jaco Pastorius with bass 1980

1987 · Fort Lauderdale, FloridaJaco Pastorius died broke after a club bouncer beat him, his estate nearly closed with debts, and his stolen bass took four years of litigation to get backJaco Pastorius was 35. On 11 September 1987 Luc Havan, manager of the Midnight Bottle Club in Wilton Manors, fractured his skull. Pastorius died after days in a coma.bpb-experimental.voicemediagroup.com and 3 more

Lou Pearlman: Lou-pearlman-mugshot

2016 · Federal Correctional Institution, Miami, FloridaLou Pearlman built the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC on a $300 million Ponzi scheme, fled to Bali, and died in prison as investors got 6 cents on the dollarLou Pearlman created the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC from Orlando. His company Trans Continental sold investors an "Employee Investment Savings Account" program.Internet Archive and 4 more

John Entwistle: John Entwistle-1

2002 · Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, NevadaJohn Entwistle's executors sold his guitars, his cars, his house and its last 700 lots within three years of his death; his ashes stayed in the groundsJohn Entwistle, the Who's bassist, died at 57 in a Las Vegas hotel room after taking cocaine, on the eve of an American tour.Internet Archive and 5 more

B. B. King: Bbking

2015 · Las Vegas, NevadaB.B. King's daughters accused his manager and his assistant of poisoning him; the coroner found no poison and the manager kept control of the estateB.B. King had 15 children, four of whom had died. LaVerne Toney had managed his road show for 39 years and held his power of attorney.CBS News and 4 more

Charlie Parker: Portrait of Charlie Parker in 1947

1955 · New YorkCharlie Parker's wife, his partner and his mother fought over his body, and he was buried where he asked not to beCharlie Parker died at 34 in the New York hotel suite of jazz patron Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter. He had separated from his legal wife, Doris, in 1950 and lived with Chan Parker, to whom he was never married.Internet Archive and 3 more

MacKenzie Scott: WASHINGTON - Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services León Rodríguez naturalize 20 new U.

2019 · SeattleMacKenzie Scott left her marriage with 4 percent of Amazon and gave Jeff Bezos the votesJeff and MacKenzie Bezos married in 1993 and moved to Seattle, where he founded Amazon in 1994; she was one of its first employees. They announced their divorce in January 2019.Internet Archive and 2 more

Muddy Waters: Muddy Waters november 1976

1983 · Westmont, IllinoisMuddy Waters' heirs spent 35 years fighting his manager over his copyrightsMuddy Waters, born McKinley Morganfield, died in his sleep at 70 and was buried at Restvale Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois, next to his wife, Geneva. The Rolling Stones took their name from his song "Rollin' Stone".Chicago Tribune and 2 more

Frankie Lymon: Frankie Lymon

1968 · New York CityThree women claimed to be Frankie Lymon's widow, and New York courts had to decide who owned his share of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love"Frankie Lymon sang lead on "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" as a teenager. In 1964 Morris Levy bought George Goldner's interest in the company that held its copyright.law.resource.org and 3 more

Panorama of United States Supreme Court Building at Dusk: Panorama of the west facade of United States Supreme Court Building at dusk in Washington, D.C., United States of America.

1995 · Houston, Texas, USAJ. Howard Marshall II's widow Anna Nicole Smith won $474 million in a bankruptcy court, and after two Supreme Court cases her estate got nothingThe Texas oil businessman J. Howard Marshall II married Vickie Lynn Marshall, known as Anna Nicole Smith, on 27 June 1994, when he was 89 and she was 26. He died in Houston on 4 August 1995, aged 90.Cornell Law School, LII and 8 more

Gloria Morgan-Vanderbilt with daughter: Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt with her daughter Gloria Vanderbilt

1925 · Manhattan, New York, USAA judge took 10-year-old Gloria Vanderbilt from her mother and gave her and her trust to her auntReginald Vanderbilt inherited $7.5 million, and creditors and taxes consumed most of it. He died in 1925, when his daughter Gloria was 18 months old. She and her half-sister shared a $5 million trust run by Surrogate James Foley.encyclopedia.com and 3 more

Bernie Madoff: Bernard Madoff 2009 mug shot (3x4 cropped)

2021 · Butner, North Carolina, USA; New York, USABernie Madoff died in prison, his sons' estates gave up their fortunes, and the trustee recovered $15.5 billionBernard Madoff's investment advisory business in New York was a Ponzi scheme. His sons, Mark and Andrew, ran the firm's trading businesses.madofftrustee.com and 3 more

Big Pun: Passport of Big Pun, an American rapper. Image produced 1998 or earlier. Copyright-free as image is taken according to federal government specifications. Photoshop work to

2000 · White Plains, New YorkBig Pun's widow sued Fat Joe for his posthumous royalties, saying payments stopped in 2005Christopher Rios, known as Big Pun, collapsed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in White Plains, where his family was staying, and died of a heart attack and respiratory failure at 28. He weighed 698 pounds.thesource.com and 4 more

Marjorie Merriweather Post: Marjorie Merriweather Post Hutton Davies NYWTS

1973 · Hillwood, Washington, D.C.Marjorie Merriweather Post deeded Mar-a-Lago to the nation, and Congress handed it back in a Lake Tahoe land billMarjorie Merriweather Post, heir to the C. W. Post cereal fortune, built Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach from 1924 to 1927 with her husband E. F. Hutton. Wikipedia puts the cost at $7 million.govinfo.gov and 6 more

Sherman Hemsley: Sherman Hemsley The Jeffersons 1978

2012 · El Paso, TexasSherman Hemsley's body stayed in a funeral home refrigerator for months while a half-brother contested his willSherman Hemsley played George Jefferson on "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons." He died of lung cancer at his El Paso home on July 24, 2012, at 74.CNN and 2 more

Paul Bern: Jean Harlow & Paul Bern 1932

1932 · 9820 Easton Drive, Beverly Hills, CaliforniaPaul Bern was found shot two months after marrying Jean Harlow, his common-law wife Dorothy Millette drowned days later, and a judge made Harlow executor of his estatePaul Bern, an MGM producer born Paul Levy, married Jean Harlow on 2 July 1932. His butler found him dead of a gunshot wound at their Beverly Hills house on 5 September 1932 (one account gives 4 September).ebsco.com and 5 more

Loretta Young: Loretta young studio portrait

1960 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaLoretta Young hid her daughter by Clark Gable in orphanages, then "adopted" her, and admitted the truth only in a book published after her deathIn 1935 Loretta Young became pregnant by Clark Gable during the filming of The Call of the Wild. Gable was married. Young hid the pregnancy. Their daughter, Judy, was born on 6 November 1935.The New York Times and 2 more

Gil Scott-Heron: Gil Scott-Heron

2011 · New York CityGil Scott-Heron died with no will; his daughter said a DNA test showed his son was not his, and a Manhattan court ruled the son was an heirGil Scott-Heron died in New York aged 62 after a trip to Europe. No will was found. He left three daughters, Raquiyah "Nia" Kelly-Heron, Gia Scott-Heron and Chegianna Newton, and a son, Rumal Rackley.Internet Archive and 3 more

Sly Stone: Sly Stone performing on Midnight Special on NBC, 1973

2025 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaSly Stone was living in a van when a jury awarded him $5 million in stolen royalties, and the award against his manager was reversedSly Stone led Sly and the Family Stone, whose hits included "Everyday People" and "Family Affair." In 2011 reports showed he was homeless and living in a camper van in Los Angeles.thegrio.com and 2 more

Curtis Mayfield: Curtis Mayfield

1999 · Roswell, GeorgiaCurtis Mayfield's manager ran his estate; his widow said the manager borrowed against the songs and took about $920,000 in commissionsCurtis Mayfield was paralyzed from the neck down in 1990 when lighting equipment fell on him at an outdoor concert in Brooklyn. He died in 1999 at 57.foxnews.com and 3 more

Celia Cruz: Celia Cruz 1957 color

2003 · Fort Lee, New JerseyCelia Cruz left everything to her husband; one of her executors sued the other for draining his money while he had dementiaCelia Cruz died of a brain tumor at 77. Her will named her husband of 41 years, trumpeter Pedro Knight, as sole beneficiary. It named two co-executors: her manager, Omer Pardillo, and Luis Falcón, a young man close to the couple.CBS News and 4 more

Eric Carr: Eric Carr (1983)

1991 · New York, New YorkA lawyer sued KISS in the name of Eric Carr's estate, and Carr's family said they had never authorized itEric Carr replaced Peter Criss as KISS drummer in 1980 and played on eight albums. He died of cancer complications at 41.loudwire.com and 4 more

Robert Johnson

1938 · near Greenwood, MississippiRobert Johnson died in 1938 with nothing, and a Mississippi court found his heir 62 years laterRobert Johnson recorded 29 songs in 1936 and 1937 and died at 27, owning almost nothing. Three graves in Mississippi claim his body.The Seattle Times and 3 more

Zora Neale Hurston: Hurston-Zora-Neale-LOC

1960 · Fort Pierce, FloridaA yardman burned Zora Neale Hurston's belongings after she died in a county welfare home in 1960, and a deputy sheriff put out the fireZora Neale Hurston died of hypertensive heart disease on 28 January 1960, aged 69, at the St. Lucie County Welfare Home in Fort Pierce, where she had gone after a stroke and years of poverty.archive.news.ufl.edu and 3 more

Jackie Wilson: Jackie Wilson 1961

1984 · Mount Holly, New JerseyJackie Wilson spent eight years in a coma under a court-appointed guardian, died $300,000 in debt, and was buried in an unmarked graveOn 29 September 1975 Jackie Wilson had a heart attack while singing at the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, during a Dick Clark revue. Lack of oxygen left him in a coma.albanyherald.com and 4 more

Nikola Tesla: A photograph image of Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) at age 34.

1943 · Hotel New Yorker, New York City, USAThe US government sealed Nikola Tesla's papers after he died, his nephew took them to Belgrade, and the church and scientists later fought over his ashesNikola Tesla died alone in Room 3327 of the Hotel New Yorker on 7 January 1943, aged 86. The Office of Alien Property took his property, sealed it and moved it to a Manhattan warehouse, though Tesla was a US citizen.Cornell Law School, LII and 4 more

Doris Duke: Doris Duke 1951 (cropped)

1993 · Falcon Lair, Beverly HillsDoris Duke left $1.2 billion with her butler as executor, and a court-appointed lawyer said her doctor hastened her deathDoris Duke was the heiress to a tobacco and power fortune. On 7 October 1966, at her Newport estate, Rough Point, she was driving the car that killed her friend Eduardo Tirella at the gate.Cornell Law School, LII and 3 more

Leona Helmsley: Leona Helmsley cropped mug

2007 · Dunnellen Hall, Greenwich, Connecticut, USALeona Helmsley left $12 million in trust for her dog Trouble and nothing to 2 grandchildren, and a judge cut the dog's trust to $2 millionLeona Helmsley, a hotel operator and real estate investor, was convicted of federal income tax evasion in 1989. She died of congestive heart failure on 20 August 2007 at Dunnellen Hall, her home in Greenwich, Connecticut, aged 87.NBC News and 14 more

Thomas Kinkade: ThomasKinkade

2012 · Monte Sereno, CaliforniaThomas Kinkade's girlfriend produced handwritten notes leaving her his mansion and $10 million, and his estranged wife said he was drunk when he wrote themKinkade sold his paintings as prints, licensed products and gallery franchises. He was separated from his wife, Nanette, and living with his girlfriend, Amy Pinto-Walsh, when he died at 54.CBS News and 3 more

Bo Diddley: Bo Diddley (1957 publicity portrait)

2008 · Archer, FloridaBo Diddley's will gave his managers 30 percent of his songs forever, a judge let them sell the catalog to pay the IRS, and 22 heirs objectedEllas McDaniel, Bo Diddley, signed a will in 2006, had a stroke in 2007 and died in 2008 at 79. In 1994 a federal judge had found a former manager siphoned his money for a decade and ruled he was owed $400,000.floridaprobatelawgroup.com and 2 more

Rudolph Valentino: Rudolph-Valentino-by-Donald-Biddle-Keyes-1922

1926 · New York City, New YorkRudolph Valentino's will gave his ex-wife $1, and his body went into a borrowed cryptRudolph Valentino, born Rodolpho Guglielmi, died on August 23, 1926.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 2 more

Whitey Bulger: Whitey Bulger US Marshals Service Mug1

2018 · Santa Monica, California, USA; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; HWhitey Bulger hid $822,000 in the walls of his Santa Monica flat, and the Marshals sold his belongings for his victims' familiesJames "Whitey" Bulger fled Boston in 1994 after his FBI handler tipped him that he was about to be indicted. He was on the run for more than 16 years.CBS News and 3 more

Charley Pride: Charley-Pride 1981

2020 · Dallas, TexasCharley Pride's son by a flight attendant was left out of the will, barred from the funeral, and sued the widow of 60 yearsCharley Pride died of COVID-19 complications at 86. He had been married to Rozene Pride for more than 60 years and had three children with her.nbcdfw.com and 3 more

Zsa Zsa Gabor: Zsa Zsa Gabor - 1959

2016 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaA former baker bought a prince's title by adult adoption, sold it on to adopted sons, and became Zsa Zsa Gabor's heirHans Robert Lichtenberg was born in Wallhausen, Germany, on 18 June 1943. He trained as a baker and ran men's saunas.goodmorningamerica.com and 4 more

Dashiell Hammett: Dashiell Hammett 1951

1961 · New YorkThe US government seized Dashiell Hammett's royalties for back taxes, and after he died Lillian Hellman took control of his copyrightsHammett was jailed in 1951 for refusing to name contributors to a left-wing bail fund. The federal government sued him for back taxes and won a judgment of $140,000. His royalties and all other payments were blocked.London Review of Books and 3 more

Al Capone: "Scarface" Al Capone is shown here at the Chicago Detective bureau following his arrest on a vagrancy charge as Public Enemy No. 1 in this 8 x 10 black & white origi

1947 · Palm Island, Miami Beach, Florida, USA; Chicago, Illinois, UAl Capone went to prison for tax evasion and paid every cent, a live TV search for his vault found nothing, and his family sold his pistol for $860,000The Treasury Department built the case that ended Al Capone's career. He was convicted of income tax evasion on 18 October 1931.fbi.gov and 3 more

Charles Lindbergh: Charles Lindbergh (Harris & Ewing photo, cropped)

1974 · Kipahulu, Maui, HawaiiCharles Lindbergh had seven secret children in Germany, confirmed by DNA 29 years after his deathCharles Lindbergh flew the Atlantic alone in 1927.mnhs.org and 2 more

Strom Thurmond: Strom Thurmond, c 1961 (cropped)

2003 · Edgefield, South CarolinaStrom Thurmond's family confirmed his Black daughter six months after his death, and South Carolina added her name to his monumentEssie Mae Butler was born on 12 October 1925 in Edgefield, South Carolina. Her mother, Carrie Butler, was 16 and worked as a maid for Thurmond's parents. Strom Thurmond was 22 and unmarried.The New York Times and 4 more

Allen Klein: Allen Klein 1950 yearbook photo

2009 · New York, New YorkAllen Klein managed three Beatles, sued them for $19 million after they fired him, and took $5 million to settleJohn Lennon appointed Allen Klein his adviser on 28 January 1969. Klein renegotiated the Beatles' EMI contract and cut costs at Apple Corps.law.resource.org and 4 more

Buffalo Bill: Portrait of William F. Cody (aka) "Buffalo Bill"

1917 · Denver, ColoradoBuffalo Bill's 1913 will gave everything to Louisa; Denver newspaper owners held his $20,000 debt, and Wyoming has claimed his body since 1917William F. Cody's 1906 will asked for burial on Cedar Mountain, above the town of Cody, Wyoming, which he founded. He changed the will in 1913 after reconciling with his wife Louisa, and she inherited everything.cowboystatedaily.com and 2 more

Henrietta Lacks: Henrietta Lacks (cropped)

1951 · Baltimore, Maryland, USADoctors took Henrietta Lacks's cells without her knowledge in 1951, and her estate has settled with Thermo Fisher and NovartisIn 1951 doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital took cells from Henrietta Lacks's cervical tumour without her knowledge. They became the first human cells to grow continuously in laboratory dishes, the HeLa line.thebanner.com and 2 more

John D. Rockefeller: Portrait of J. D. Rockefeller

1906 · Freeport, IllinoisJohn D. Rockefeller's father lived 50 years as "Dr. Levingston" with a second wife and was buried under the false nameWilliam Avery Rockefeller married Eliza Davison, and their son John D. Rockefeller was born in 1839.Library of Congress and 4 more

George Gershwin: George Gershwin, 28 March 1937

1937 · Los Angeles, California, United StatesGeorge Gershwin died at 38 without a will, and the Gershwin trusts lobbied Congress for 20 more years of copyrightGeorge Gershwin died of a brain tumour at 38. He had no wife, no children and no will. A 1938 report put his net estate at $341,089, all of it to his mother, Rose, with Rhapsody in Blue appraised as the most valuable asset.Library of Congress and 5 more

Alex Haley: Alex Haley

1992 · Seattle, WashingtonAlex Haley died owing about $1.5 million, his estate auctioned his Pulitzer for $50,000, and Betty Shabazz sued over the Malcolm X manuscriptHaley died of a heart attack at 70. Reports put his debts at about $1.5 million (Deseret News) or $2 million (Phoenix New Times), with a $950,000 mortgage on his 125-acre farm in Norris, Tennessee.stuff.mit.edu and 3 more

Norman Jewison: A portrait of Norman Jewison taken by Gail Harvey. (48198901241) (cropped)

2024 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaNorman Jewison's three children sued after he changed his will two months before his death in 2024; the claims were settled by mediation and never tested in courtNorman Jewison died aged 97. CBC News reported in 2025, from lawsuits it obtained, that his estate was estimated at $30 million. The suits allege that his second wife, Lynne St.cbc.ca and 3 more

Zelda Fitzgerald: Zelda Fitzgerald (1923 Portrait) Retouched

1948 · Asheville, North CarolinaZelda Fitzgerald died locked in a fifth-floor room when fire destroyed Highland Hospital in 1948; nine women died and no one was chargedZelda Fitzgerald, 47, was a patient at Highland Hospital, a sanatorium that Duke University's neuropsychiatric department took over in 1939.dncr.nc.gov and 2 more

AI illustration: A white clapboard farmhouse among trees in Ridgefield, Connecticut, 2012

2012 · Danbury, ConnecticutMaurice Sendak's foundation and the Rosenbach Museum fought for two years in a Connecticut probate court over his rare-book collectionMaurice Sendak deposited thousands of books and drawings at the Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia from the 1960s, was a board member from 1973 and honorary president from 2003, but never gave them formally.Smithsonian Magazine and 3 more

Conrad Hilton: Conrad Hilton (croped)

1979 · Santa Monica, CaliforniaConrad Hilton left his hotel shares to his foundation, and his son Barron spent 10 years in court winning them backConrad Hilton founded the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation in 1944 and made it the principal beneficiary of his estate. His will also gave his son Barron, chairman of Hilton Hotels, an option to buy the hotel stock.Los Angeles Times and 3 more

Ernie Kovacs: Ernie kovacs 1956

1962 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaErnie Kovacs's mother sued his widow, Edie Adams, over how she paid his tax debtsErnie Kovacs died in a car crash in Los Angeles on January 13, 1962. Before his death the government had filed tax liens of $232,861.94 against him and his wife, Edie Adams.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 3 more

The Japanese Tea Garden, located inside Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California LCCN2013630140: Title: The Japanese Tea Garden, located inside Golden Gate Park, San Francisco,

1925 · Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, USAThe Hagiwara family kept San Francisco's Japanese Tea Garden for 47 years; the 1942 removal orders took it, and the city paid two survivors $5,000 each in 1983The garden began as an exhibit at the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition. Makoto Hagiwara, who had come to San Francisco in 1878, paid to build it and was its caretaker from 1895.goldengatepark.substack.com and 3 more

John Kennedy Toole: 1954 Yearbook photo of John Kennedy Toole

1969 · Biloxi, MississippiJohn Kennedy Toole's mother got A Confederacy of Dunces published, then fought a bookseller and Toole's relatives over The Neon Bible until 1989Toole died by suicide in 1969, leaving the manuscripts of A Confederacy of Dunces and The Neon Bible with his mother, Thelma.finding-aids.lib.unc.edu and 3 more

Celeste Holm: Studio publicity Celeste Holm

2012 · New York CityCeleste Holm's sons sued her fifth husband over a 2002 trust, the fight ran about six years, and she died in 2012 with a $13 million estate and a settlement forcing him out of her apartmentCeleste Holm won an Academy Award for Gentleman's Agreement. In 2002 her children helped set up a trust to protect her from exploitation, and her younger son, Daniel Dunning, was named trustee.dnainfo.com and 4 more

AI illustration: The front steps and iron gate of Casa Casuarina on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, 1997

1997 · Casa Casuarina, Miami Beach, FloridaGianni Versace was shot dead in Miami and left half his fashion house to his 11-year-old nieceOn 15 July 1997 Andrew Cunanan shot Gianni Versace outside his Miami Beach mansion. Cunanan killed himself on a houseboat eight days later. Versace's will left his 50 percent of Gianni Versace S.p.A.sec.gov and 5 more

Warren G. Harding: Warren G. Harding 1920s portrait (3x4 cropped)

1923 · San Francisco, CaliforniaNan Britton lost her libel suit over Warren Harding's daughter in 1931, and DNA proved the daughter was his in 2015Nan Britton was born in Harding's hometown of Marion, Ohio, in 1896. Her daughter, Elizabeth Ann, was born on 22 October 1919 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and was raised by Britton's aunt and uncle in Athens, Ohio.The New York Times and 4 more

James A. Michener: James Albert Michener · DN-SC-92-05368

1997 · Austin, TexasJames Michener gave away about $117 million and left the bulk of his estate to Swarthmore CollegeMichener and his wife Mari gave an estimated $117 million to universities, libraries and museums during their lives, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy in 1997. Of that, $7.2 million went to Swarthmore College.Internet Archive and 3 more

Yale Skull and Bones Tomb: The Skull & Bones Tomb, circa 2006.

1991 · The Tomb, 64 High Street, New Haven, Connecticut, USA; Deer Skull and Bones' alumni trust changed the locks on the Tomb in 1991 when the seniors tapped seven women, and William F. Buckley went to court to stop the initiationSkull and Bones was founded at Yale in 1832 by William Huntington Russell and Alphonso Taft.Deseret News and 6 more

Aleister Crowley: Aleister Crowley, thinker

1947 · Netherwood, Hastings, England; California, USAAleister Crowley died with £430 and left his writings to his order, and a federal court decided in 1985 which of the rival orders owned themAleister Crowley headed the Ordo Templi Orientis from about 1921 and died at a Hastings boarding house on 1 December 1947. His solicitors reported about £430 in cash and saw no point in proving the will until the assets were clear.aleistercrowleytimeline.com and 3 more

770 Eastern Parkway: 770Lubavitch

1950 · 770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New YorkThe Lubavitcher Rebbe's grandson sold books from the movement's library as his inheritance; a federal court ruled the library was never the Rebbe's to leaveRabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn, sixth leader of Chabad, reached America in March 1940 and lived at 770 Eastern Parkway, bought that year by the movement's corporation, Agudas Chasidei Chabad.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 3 more

Martha Graham: Martha Graham 1948

1991 · New York CityMartha Graham left her dances to Ron Protas in 1991, and federal courts ruled from 2002 to 2006 that her own center owned themMartha Graham died in 1991 aged 96. Her sole heir was Ronald Protas, her close friend, who had become artistic director of her Center.FindLaw Caselaw and 3 more

Robert Rauschenberg: Robert Rauschenberg 1999

2008 · Captiva Island, Florida, USARobert Rauschenberg's art trust grew from $605.6 million to $2.2 billion, and a Florida judge gave his three trustees $24.6 million in feesRobert Rauschenberg died at his home on Captiva Island, Florida, on 12 May 2008, aged 82. His will left the residue of his estate to his revocable trust, whose sole remainder beneficiary was the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.flprobatelitigation.com and 6 more

J. P. Morgan: J.P. Morgan (cropped)

1941 · Ponca City, OklahomaOklahoma oilman E.W. Marland annulled his adoption of his wife's niece and married her, then lost his company to J.P. Morgan's bankersE.W. Marland lost his first fortune in the Panic of 1907, moved to Ponca City in 1908 and struck oil in June 1911. By 1927 Marland Oil had 550 service stations in 11 states. He and his wife Virginia had no children.okhistory.org and 4 more

Robert E. Howard: Robert E. Howard

1936 · Cross Plains, TexasRobert E. Howard shot himself in June 1936 and his mother died a day or two later; a will naming a friend was reportedly lost, and the Conan rights passed to a nurse's daughterRobert E. Howard, 30, shot himself on 11 June 1936 outside the family house in Cross Plains, Texas, while his mother, Hester, lay comatose.UPI and 2 more

Darryl F. Zanuck: Darryl F. Zanuck 1964

1979 · Palm Springs, CaliforniaA French woman sued Darryl F. Zanuck's estate for $15 million in 1980, saying his son had her cut from the will; the case ended in 1988 with her claim going to a universityDarryl F. Zanuck died in 1979 while living with his wife, Virginia. In 1980 Genevieve Gilles (reported in 1983 as Genevieve Gillaizeau) filed a $15 million claim against his estate.UPI and 4 more

Lead Belly: Leadbelly with Accordeon

1949 · New York CityLead Belly's family trust sued his publishers in 2026 over 49 songs it took back by copyright terminationHuddie Ledbetter, known as Lead Belly, registered copyrights on his songs on 24 November 1936.musicbusinessworldwide.com and 1 more

Martha Raye: Martha Raye 1951 press photo

1994 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaMartha Raye married a man 33 years younger and left him her $2 million estate, after her daughter sued for conservatorshipMartha Raye died of pneumonia at Cedars-Sinai on 19 October 1994, aged 78. She had had Alzheimer's disease, a 1990 stroke and liver disease. Her left leg was amputated in October 1993 and her right in February 1994.americanhistory.si.edu and 3 more

Amityville house: The house featured by the movie The Amityville Horror, built circa 1924, at 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville, New York, United States. By the time this photograph was

1974 · 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville, Long Island, New York, USAThe Amityville house sold for $80,000 after six murders; the family that fled sued, and a judge called their story largely fictionKind 1. On 13 November 1974 Ronald DeFeo Jr., 23, shot his parents and four siblings as they slept at 112 Ocean Avenue.psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk and 2 more

George Balanchine: George Balanchine (1965)

1983 · New York CityBalanchine's 1983 will split the rights to about 100 ballets among a handful of friends, and the heirs formed a TrustGeorge Balanchine died on 30 April 1983, aged 79, of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. His longtime assistant Barbara Horgan had urged him to write a will so that rights to his ballets would not pass to a brother in the Soviet Union.easthamptonstar.com and 3 more

Edgar Allan Poe: Edgar Allan Poe, circa 1849, restored, squared off

1849 · Baltimore, MarylandEdgar Allan Poe's self-appointed literary executor was his enemy, who wrote his obituary under a false name and rewrote his lettersPoe and the editor Rufus Wilmot Griswold had feuded for years. Two days after Poe died, Griswold published an obituary under the pen name "Ludwig" in the New York Tribune. It attacked Poe's character.bpl.org and 3 more

Map of Texas, marked on the globe

1976 · Fort Worth, Texas, USAFort Worth oil heir Cullen Davis was tried for killing his stepdaughter and for hiring a hitman to kill his divorce judge, was acquitted, and later listed $865 million in debtsKenneth W. Davis, a Fort Worth oilman, founded KenDavis Industries International, which made goods for the petroleum industry. He died in 1968 and his estate was split equally among his three sons. His son T.UPI and 4 more

Scott Joplin: Scott Joplin in 1912

1917 · Manhattan State Hospital, Ward's Island, New York, UnitScott Joplin died in a state hospital without a will, his papers were lost in a trustee's estate, and his widow's trust won $177,980 in 1977Scott Joplin sold Maple Leaf Rag in 1899 for $50 and a royalty of one cent a copy. He spent his money trying to stage his opera Treemonisha, which failed at a 1915 reading.academic.oup.com and 3 more

Press conference on litigations against Purdue Pharma (E5zaHzGXEAEaucB)

2019 · White Plains, New YorkThe Sacklers drew $11 billion out of Purdue Pharma, museums removed their name, and the Supreme Court voided their release in 2024Purdue Pharma, owned and controlled by the Sackler family, began selling OxyContin in the mid-1990s and earned about $34 billion from 1996 to 2019, mostly from the drug. In 2007 an affiliate pleaded guilty to misbranding it.Supreme Court of the United States and 2 more

Anne Sexton: Anne Sexton, Boston University

1974 · Weston, MassachusettsAnne Sexton's psychiatrist gave about 300 therapy tapes to her biographer after her death, with her daughter's consent as literary executor, and ethicists condemned itAnne Sexton died by suicide in 1974 at age 45. Her psychiatrist, Dr. Martin Orne, began treating her when she was 28 and started recording their sessions in 1960, having her review them.psych.upenn.edu and 2 more

Edward Abbey: "Black Sun", by Edward Abbey (cropped)

1989 · near Tucson, ArizonaEdward Abbey wrote instructions to be buried without a coffin or permit, and friends buried him in the Arizona desert two days after he diedEdward Abbey died at home near Tucson on 14 March 1989, aged 62, after four days of esophageal bleeding. He left a wife, Clarke Cartwright, five children and a father.abbeyweb.net and 3 more

Lizzie Borden House (Bed Breakfast) (3535957840): Erected in 1845, the home was originally a two family and was later made into a single family by Andrew J. Borden. Andrew J. Borde

1892 · Fall River, Massachusetts, USALizzie Borden was acquitted of killing her father and stepmother, inherited his fortune with her sister, and wrote her sister out of her willAndrew Borden and his second wife, Abby, were killed with a hatchet in their Fall River house on 4 August 1892. His estate was valued at $300,000.us-data.org and 1 more

Vivian Maier: www.mediodescocido.com.ar

2009 · ChicagoVivian Maier was a nanny who died unknown; after her photographs sold, Cook County took over her estate to find out who owned themMaier worked as a nanny in Chicago and photographed the streets for decades without showing anyone. Her negatives were sold from a storage locker at auction in 2007 for unpaid rent.news.wttw.com and 3 more

Mako Komuro: Mako Komuro, formely Princess Mako of Akishino (cropped)

2021 · Tokyo, Japan; New York, USAJapan's Princess Mako refused a ¥140 million payout to marry a commoner and lost her royal statusUnder Japan's Imperial House Law, a princess who marries a commoner leaves the imperial family; only men inherit the throne. Princess Mako, niece of Emperor Naruhito, announced her engagement to Kei Komuro in 2017.Wikipedia (English) and 1 more

Margaret Mitchell: Margaret Mitchell NYWTS

1949 · Atlanta, GeorgiaMargaret Mitchell's estate sued to stop a novel retelling Gone With the Wind from the view of a slave, and ended up funding a Black collegeMitchell was struck by a car in Atlanta in 1949. Her copyrights passed to family trusts, administered for her heirs by SunTrust Bank.openjurist.org and 3 more

AI illustration: The towers of Century City, Los Angeles, 2020

2020 · Century City, Los AngelesSteve Bing's father asked a court to rule that Bing's two children born outside marriage were not his grandchildren, and lostSteve Bing inherited about $600 million at 18 from his grandfather Leo S. Bing, a New York real estate developer. He had two children outside marriage.wealthmanagement.com and 3 more

May 27, 1936 10-10 A.M. VIEW FROM SOUTHEAST. - Belair, Tulip Grove Drive, Belair-at-Bowie, Bowie, Prince George's County: Ogle, Samuel; Tasker, Benjamin; Tasker, Benjamin; Franklin

1955 · Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York, USAAnn Woodward shot her husband, the owner of Nashua, a grand jury cleared her in 30 minutes, and both her sons later killed themselvesWilliam Woodward Jr. inherited Belair, the Maryland estate and stud farm, and the racehorse Nashua when his father died in 1953. He asked his wife, Ann, for a divorce in 1947, and she refused.biography.com and 2 more

Barbara Hutton: Barbara Hutton on a ship (cropped)

1979 · Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills, California, USABarbara Hutton inherited the Woolworth fortune at 21, married seven times, and died with $3,500 in the bankFrank W. Woolworth opened his first successful five-and-dime store in 1879. His daughter Edna married Franklyn Hutton. Edna died at The Plaza hotel on 2 May 1917, aged 33.legacy.suntimes.com and 2 more

Béla Bartók: Bartók Béla 1927

1945 · New York CityBéla Bartók's New York estate was in court for 22 years, and the trustee claimed his manuscriptsBéla Bartók died in New York in 1945. His will named Victor Bator and Julius Baron as executors. Baron was allowed to resign on 15 March 1956, leaving Bator as sole trustee. Bator ran the estate until his death in 1967.CourtListener and 4 more

Armand Hammer: Armand Hammer 82

1990 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaArmand Hammer built his museum with Occidental Petroleum money and died with shareholders, his son and USC in courtHammer, chairman of Occidental Petroleum, sat on the Los Angeles County Museum of Art board for nearly 20 years and had pledged his collection, valued at $250 million, to it. After a dispute over display he withdrew.Los Angeles Times and 2 more

Andrew Carnegie: Andrew Carnegie, by Theodore Marceau (cropped) (2)

1907 · Ohio State Penitentiary, ColumbusCassie Chadwick said she was Andrew Carnegie's illegitimate daughter, borrowed against forged Carnegie notes, and broke an Ohio bankElizabeth Bigley was born in Ontario in 1857. In 1889 she was convicted of forgery in Toledo and sentenced to nine and a half years. She was paroled in 1893.case.edu and 3 more

Brooke Astor: Brooke Astor (1980)

2007 · Holly Hill, Briarcliff Manor, New YorkBrooke Astor's son was convicted of looting her estate while she had Alzheimer'sBrooke Astor was the widow of Vincent Astor and a leading New York philanthropist. She had Alzheimer's disease in her last years. Her 2002 will left most of her estate to charity.NBC News and 2 more

Louis Kahn: LouisKahn

1974 · Pennsylvania Station, New YorkLouis Kahn died unidentified in a Penn Station restroom, owing hundreds of thousands of dollars, with three families at his funeralKahn had a heart attack in a Penn Station restroom on his way back from India. The address on his passport had been scratched out, and the police cable gave the wrong address, so it took two to three days to identify him.designmuseum.org and 3 more

Bernie Worrell: Bernie Worrell - SociaLibrium, Vienna2009 a

2022 · Detroit, Michigan (Eastern District of Michigan); TallahasseBernie Worrell's widow sued George Clinton for half of 264 Parliament-Funkadelic recordings, and an appeals court sent the case to trialBernie Worrell, P-Funk's Juilliard-trained keyboardist, died of lung cancer in 2016 at 72. In 1976 he signed an agreement giving Clinton's company, Thang, Inc., ownership of his recordings in exchange for royalties.musicbusinessworldwide.com and 4 more

Pat Bowlen

2019 · Denver, ColoradoPat Bowlen's trust was meant to keep the Broncos in his family; two daughters and his brother sued, and the team was soldPat Bowlen bought the Broncos in 1984. Alzheimer's forced him to step aside in 2014. A three-person trust led by team president Joe Ellis ran the team.cpr.org and 2 more

Hearst Castle: Hearst Castle Casa Grande September 2012 panorama 2

1951 · Beverly Hills, CaliforniaHearst's will locked his company in a trust until every relative alive in 1951 dies, and the company gave his castle to CaliforniaWilliam Randolph Hearst inherited the San Simeon ranch from his mother Phoebe in 1919. The family holdings there grew to about 250,000 acres. With the architect Julia Morgan he built the castle from 1919 to 1947.ohp.parks.ca.gov and 7 more

Jerzy Kosiński: Jerzy Kosiński (by Eric Koch, 1969)

1991 · New York CityJerzy Kosiński was accused of plagiarism and ghostwriting in 1982 and killed himself in 1991 with a plastic bag over his headKosiński's The Painted Bird (1965) was banned in Poland until 1989.Encyclopaedia Britannica and 3 more

Freddie Bartholomew: Freddie Bartholomew in Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936)

1992 · Sarasota, FloridaFreddie Bartholomew's parents lost a court fight with his aunt over the boy and his MGM salaryFreddie Bartholomew was raised by his aunt, Millicent Bartholomew, at his grandparents' home in Warminster, England. In 1934 she took him to America for what she told his parents would be 60 days.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 1 more

Tom Benson: Tom Benson 2009

2018 · Ochsner Medical Center, Jefferson, LouisianaTom Benson's daughter and grandchildren sued to have him declared incompetent after he gave the Saints to his third wifeIn January 2015 Tom Benson, 87, said control of the Saints and Pelicans would pass to his third wife, Gayle, on his death. His daughter, Renee Benson, and her children, Rita and Ryan LeBlanc, had been the expected heirs.espn.com and 2 more

Map of California, marked on the globe

2023 · San Francisco, California, USAChuck Feeney secretly handed his Duty Free Shoppers stake to a foundation in 1984, gave away more than $8 billion, and kept about $2 millionCharles Feeney was born in 1931 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and went to Cornell on the GI Bill. In 1960 he and Robert Warren Miller founded Duty Free Shoppers, which made both men billionaires.atlanticphilanthropies.org and 2 more

Huguette Clark: Huguette Clark (crop)

2011 · Manhattan, New York City, New York, USAHuguette Clark's second will cut out her relatives and left her nurse about $30 million, and the relatives settled for $34.5 millionHuguette Clark, a painter, was the youngest daughter of William A. Clark, a Montana senator whose fortune came from copper mining.NBC News and 5 more

George Washington Vanderbilt II: GeorgeVanderbiltII

1914 · Washington, D.C.George Vanderbilt's widow sold most of Biltmore's land to the United States, and his grandsons split the house from the dairyGeorge Washington Vanderbilt II, a grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, built Biltmore House near Asheville, North Carolina. His estate reached about 125,000 acres.ncpedia.org and 5 more

EAST (FRONT) ELEVATION - Henry M. Flagler Mansion, Whitehall Way, Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, FL: EAST (FRONT) ELEVATION - Henry M. Flagler Mansion, Whitehall Way, Palm Beach, P

1917 · Louisville, Kentucky, USAHenry Flagler's widow left $5 million to her new husband in a codicil signed eight days before she died, and her family dug up her bodyMary Lily Kenan married Henry Flagler, co-founder of Standard Oil, on 24 August 1901. He died in 1913 and left most of his wealth to her. In late 1916 she married Robert Worth Bingham, a Louisville judge.ebsco.com and 2 more

Anna Anderson: AnnaAnderson1922

1984 · Charlottesville, Virginia, USAAnna Anderson claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia for 64 years and fought German courts for 32 years for the Romanov moneyIn February 1920 Berlin police pulled a young woman from the Landwehr Canal after a suicide attempt. In an asylum she came to be identified, and then identified herself, as Anastasia, youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II.Journal article (DOI) and 2 more

P. T. Barnum: P. T. Barnum - 02176a (cropped)

1891 · Bridgeport, ConnecticutP.T. Barnum's will paid a grandson to take the Barnum name; sources give the sum as $25,000 or a share of the estateP.T. Barnum died at home in Bridgeport on 7 April 1891, aged 80. His first wife Charity died in 1873 and he married Nancy Fish in 1874. He had no sons.collections.ctdigitalarchive.org and 4 more

Harry Kendall Thaw on trial - sketch: Harry Kendall Thaw watching the faces of the men in the jury box

1947 · Miami Beach, Florida, USAHarry Thaw's mother spent the family fortune to free him after he shot Stanford White, and his will left Evelyn Nesbit $10,000Harry Kendall Thaw was heir to his father William Thaw's coal and railroad fortune. The father limited his allowance; after the father died, his mother raised it.encyclopedia.com and 4 more

H. L. Hunt: H. L. Hunt (American oil magnate, 1965)

2017 · Dallas, Texas, USAAn H. L. Hunt great-grandson took a nine-figure settlement and promised not to contest his father's will, then contested itH. L. Hunt died in 1974 and left trusts for his heirs. In 2007 his great-grandson Albert G. Hill III sued his two sisters and his father, Albert Hill Jr., alleging misadministration of two trusts of which he was a beneficiary.ca5.uscourts.gov and 3 more

H. L. Hunt: H. L. Hunt (American oil magnate, 1965)

1980 · Dallas, Texas, and New York, USAH.L. Hunt's sons bought a third of the world's silver, lost more than $1 billion, and filed for bankruptcy after a Peruvian state company won in courtNelson Bunker Hunt and William Herbert Hunt were sons of the Texas oilman H.L. Hunt, who left a multibillion-dollar fortune and Placid Oil.Deseret News and 2 more

H. L. Hunt: H. L. Hunt (American oil magnate, 1965)

1974 · Dallas, TexasOilman H.L. Hunt had three families with 15 children, and the wife from his bigamous marriage sued his heirs four years after his deathH.L. Hunt made one of the largest oil fortunes in America from the East Texas field. He married Lyda Bunker in November 1914 and had seven children with her.UPI and 3 more

Zhang Xueliang: Chang Shueliang

2001 · HonoluluZhang Xueliang inherited his murdered father's Manchurian army in 1928 and spent more than 50 years in detentionOn 4 June 1928 a bomb planted by Col. Komoto Daisaku of Japan's Kwantung Army hit warlord Zhang Zuolin's train at Huanggutun near Shenyang. Zhang died a few hours later, and his death was kept secret for more than two weeks.library.columbia.edu and 4 more

Hetty Green: Hetty Green, half-length portrait, seated

1936 · Lake Placid, New York, USAFour states and the United States claimed $37.7 million in death taxes from Hetty Green's son's $36 million estateWhen Hetty Green died in 1916, her son Edward H. R. "Ned" Green and her daughter Sylvia each inherited half of a fortune estimated at $100 million to $200 million. Hetty had opposed his companion Mabel Harlow, a former prostitute.Cornell Law School, LII and 3 more

Barnett Newman: Newman Barnett

1970 · New York CityBarnett Newman's "Who's Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue III" was slashed in Amsterdam in 1986; a $400,000 restoration was judged to have destroyed itIn 1986 a visitor slashed Newman's "Who's Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue III" at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. The museum describes the man as distressed by abstract art.dutchnews.nl and 3 more

Thomas Jefferson: Rembrandt Peale - Thomas Jefferson title QS:P1476,en:"Rembrandt Peale - Thomas Jefferson "label QS:Len,"Rembrandt Peale

1826 · Monticello, Albemarle County, VirginiaThomas Jefferson's will freed his two youngest sons by Sally Hemings, and his debts sent 130 enslaved people to auctionJefferson owed about $100,000 in his last months. In February 1826 the Virginia General Assembly approved a lottery to raise money for him.nature.com and 4 more

Joe Robbie: JoeRobbie1 (cropped)

1990 · Miami, FloridaJoe Robbie's nine children sued each other, his widow claimed her 30 percent, and a $47 million tax bill forced the sale of the DolphinsJoe Robbie founded the Dolphins in 1966 and built their stadium with private money. He died in 1990, leaving the team and stadium in trust. Three of his nine children managed the estate.Tampa Bay Times and 2 more

Emily Dickinson: Black-white photograph of Emily Dickinson2

1886 · Amherst, MassachusettsEmily Dickinson's poems were edited by her brother's mistress, and her sister sued the mistress for a strip of landAfter Emily Dickinson died, her sister Lavinia found hundreds of unpublished poems. Mabel Loomis Todd, the lover of Emily's brother Austin, edited the first published volumes in the 1890s.archive.emilydickinson.org and 3 more

The Hope Diamond - SIA: 1974. The Hope Diamond, one of the largest of all blue diamonds, 45.52 carats, exhibited at the National Museum of Natural History. The gem is slightly lops

1947 · Washington, D.C., USAThe Hope Diamond's curse story was sold with the stone in 1911; its owner's will put it in trust for her grandchildren, and her trustees sold it to pay her debtsThe Hope Diamond curse is an unproven tale. Newspapers printed curse stories about the stone between 1908 and 1911; later research cast serious doubt on them, and they are described as embellished to help sales.the-cartiers.com and 2 more

AI illustration: Dental floss in a kitchen bin in Beverly Hills, 2002

2015 · Beverly Hills, CaliforniaKirk Kerkorian's investigator took Steve Bing's dental floss from the trash and proved Kerkorian's "daughter" was Bing's childKirk Kerkorian built MGM Grand and controlled the MGM film studio through his holding company, Tracinda. In 1999 he married Lisa Bonder, a former professional tennis player 48 years younger. The marriage lasted about one month.dailyjournal.com and 4 more

AI illustration: The gates of a Beverly Hills estate, 2015

2015 · Beverly Hills, California, USAKirk Kerkorian left $2 billion to charity, and his 57-day wife was paid to go awayKirk Kerkorian built Las Vegas hotels and owned MGM three times. He died at 98 with an estate of about $2 billion. Most of it went to charity, distributed by a three-person committee within three years.Los Angeles Times and 2 more

Walt Whitman: Walt Whitman - George Collins Cox

1892 · Camden, New JerseyWalt Whitman's brain was removed at his autopsy for a brain club and was destroyed within a yearWhitman died at his home on Mickle Street. On 27 March 1892 Dr. Henry Ware Cattell, prosector of the American Anthropometric Society, performed the autopsy under Prof.pubs.lib.uiowa.edu and 2 more

Robert Peary: Robert Peary self-portrait, 1909

1955 · New York; Washington, D.C.Peary and Henson each fathered a son in Greenland, and Henson was moved beside Peary at Arlington in 1988Robert Peary began a relationship with Aleqasina, an Inughuit girl of about 14, and they had at least two children, including a son, Kali. His assistant Matthew Henson had a son, Anaukaq, born in 1906 to Akatingwah.arlingtoncemetery.mil and 3 more

Alfred S. Bloomingdale: Alfred Bloomingdale

1982 · Los Angeles, California, USAAlfred Bloomingdale's mistress sued his dying body for palimony, was beaten to death a year later, and her estate won $200,000Alfred Bloomingdale, a co-founder of Diners Club, met Vicki Morgan in August 1969, when she was 17 and he was 53. He made her his mistress, paid her husband to end their marriage and kept her in an apartment.UPI and 3 more

Herman Melville: Herman Melville by Joseph O Eaton

1891 · New York CityHerman Melville's widow tied his unpublished papers in bundles in 1891, and Billy Budd stayed in a breadbox until a biographer opened it in 1919Herman Melville died in September 1891, aged 72, after decades of obscurity.harvardfilmarchive.org and 3 more

Sumner Redstone: Sumner Redstone (cropped)(b)

2020 · Los Angeles and BostonSumner Redstone's ex-girlfriend said he was incompetent, the judge disagreed, and his daughter took control of CBS and ViacomSumner Redstone controlled CBS and Viacom through National Amusements, whose voting stock sat in a trust to be run after his death by seven trustees, including Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman.fortune.com and 2 more

Harold Hamm: Harold Hamm 2012 Shankbone

2012 · Oklahoma CityHarold Hamm's ex-wife refused his $974.8 million check, then cashed it and lost her appeal for moreHarold Hamm founded Continental Resources and became one of the richest men in America during the Bakken shale boom. His wife of 26 years, Sue Ann Arnall, was a lawyer and former Continental executive.NBC News and 2 more

Buddy Holly: Buddy Holly Brunswick Records

1959 · near Clear Lake, IowaBuddy Holly's widow charged Lubbock to use his name, and the city renamed its festival and walk of fameBuddy Holly married María Elena Santiago in 1958. He died in a plane crash on 3 February 1959, at 22. She controls his name, image and trademarks.kcbd.com and 3 more

W. C. Fields: W. C. Fields, NPG 94 46

1946 · Pasadena, CaliforniaW.C. Fields paid his son's mother $20,000 to deny he was the father, and his will's orphan college lost to the wife he never divorcedW.C. Fields married Harriet "Hattie" Hughes in 1900. Their son, William Claude Fields Jr., was born in 1904. The couple separated by 1907 and never divorced, and Fields paid her an allowance until he died.The New York Times and 2 more

Josephine Hopper: The Art Student, 1906. Portrait of Miss Josephine Nivision, later known as Jo Hopper, by Robert Henri.

1967 · New York CityJo Hopper left the Whitney more than 3,000 Edward Hopper works in 1968; a critic alleges a Nyack minister who shared the residue took hundreds more, and the museum has declined to pursue itEdward Hopper left his estate to his wife Jo. When she died in 1968 her will gave nearly all his work to the Whitney Museum, which received more than 3,000 works, the largest single gift in its history. She named the Rev.bostonglobe.com and 3 more

Gordon Getty: Gordon and Ann Getty and children at service for J. Paul Getty (cropped) (2)

1976 · Los Angeles and HoustonGordon Getty, sole trustee of the family trust, sold Getty Oil to Texaco, and his nieces petitioned to remove himJ. Paul Getty died in 1976. His family's 40 percent of Getty Oil sat in the Sarah C. Getty Trust, founded by his mother, and his son Gordon, a composer, became its sole trustee.FindLaw Caselaw and 3 more

William S. Hart: Williamshart

1946 · Newhall, CaliforniaWilliam S. Hart left his only son nothing and his ranch to Los Angeles County; the son fought for a decadeWilliam S. Hart was a silent-film Western star.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 2 more

Evalyn Walsh McLean: Evalyn Walsh McLean cph.3b18835

1947 · Washington, D.C., USAEvalyn Walsh McLean wore the Hope Diamond through a son's death, a husband's insanity and the Lindbergh hoax, and her estate sold itEvalyn Walsh was the daughter of Thomas Walsh, a miner who struck gold. In 1908 she married Ned McLean, heir to the Washington Post and Cincinnati Enquirer fortune.the-cartiers.com and 2 more

The Shooting of Judge Terry - National Police Gazette 1889-08-31: The Shooting of Judge Terry. Scenes in and about the Lathrop, Cal., depot where Marshal Nagle killed the famous hu

1885 · San Francisco, California, USASarah Althea Hill produced a marriage contract and a will from San Francisco's richest man, federal judges ruled them forged, and her husband was shot dead attacking a Supreme Court justiceWilliam Sharon was a US senator and the richest man in San Francisco. He owned the Palace Hotel and the Grand Hotel. In 1880 he began an affair with Sarah Althea Hill, paid her $500 a month and gave her a room at the Grand.Cornell Law School, LII and 2 more

Map of New York, marked on the globe

1995 · New York, New York, USASeymour Durst passed over his eldest son, the family bought Robert out for about $65 million, and Robert died a convicted murdererRobert Durst, Seymour Durst's eldest son, was originally designated to manage the family's wealth, held in trusts that own extensive Manhattan real estate.pressdemocrat.com and 2 more

Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village: Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, 707 Shaker Rd, New Gloucester, ME Maine (l-r) Herb House, Boys' Shop (Museum Reception Center), Spinhouse

1992 · Canterbury, New Hampshire, USA; New Gloucester, Maine, USAThe Canterbury Shakers closed membership in 1957, refused to recognize the converts at Sabbathday Lake, and the last Shaker community has three members in 2025The Shakers, followers of Ann Lee, came to America in 1774 and held all property in common under a signed covenant. Members were celibate, so the communities grew only by converts.archive.boston.com and 3 more

AI illustration: The Manhattan Surrogate's Court building on Chambers Street, 1986

1983 · Fort Pierce, FloridaA Johnson & Johnson heir left $400 million to the maid he married, and his six children suedJ. Seward Johnson I was an heir to Johnson & Johnson. In 1971, aged 76, he married Barbara "Basia" Piasecka, 34, a Polish immigrant he had hired as a cook, who then became chambermaid and then his art curator.UPI and 3 more

Waggoner Ranch Commissary at NHRC in Lubbock, TX IMG 1613: Waggoner Ranch Commissary — at the National Ranching Heritage Center. At Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

1991 · Vernon, Wilbarger County, Texas, USAElectra Waggoner Biggs sued in 1991 to sell her family's oil-and-cattle ranch, and after 25 years a court receiver sold it to Stan KroenkeDaniel Waggoner founded the ranch near Vernon, Texas, in 1852 with 230 longhorn cattle. In 1902 his son W. T. Waggoner found oil while drilling for water. By 1909 W. T.foxnews.com and 2 more

Pontalba Buildings-Jackson Square-New Orleans: Pontalba Building

1834 · Mont-l'Évêque, France; New Orleans, Louisiana, USAThe heiress to the land around New Orleans's main square was shot four times by her father-in-law over her fortune, survived, and built the Pontalba BuildingsAndrés Almonester y Rojas, a notary on the Spanish governing council of New Orleans, acquired the land on both sides of the town square in 1777 and helped pay for the Cabildo, St. Louis Cathedral and the Presbytère.louisianastatemuseum.org and 3 more

Joel Teitelbaum: JTeitelbaum

2006 · Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Kiryas Joel, New YorkThe Satmar Rebbe's will named his younger son successor; New York's highest court refused to decide which son controls the congregationGrand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum founded Congregation Yetev Lev D'Satmar in Brooklyn in 1948. He died in 1979 and his nephew Moses Teitelbaum succeeded him.Cornell Law School, LII and 4 more

Horace Elgin Dodge: Horace Elgin Dodge

1920 · Detroit, Michigan, USAThe Dodge brothers sued Henry Ford for dividends, sold him their shares for $25 million, and both died within a yearJohn and Horace Dodge supplied parts to Henry Ford and were paid partly in Ford stock. They owned about 10 percent of Ford Motor.Time and 3 more

AI illustration: The New York State Supreme Court building on Centre Street, 2018

2018 · New York, New YorkNew York shut down the Donald J. Trump Foundation in 2018 and Trump paid $2 million to eight charitiesDonald Trump formed the foundation in 1988. During the 2016 campaign, Washington Post reporting raised questions about its spending.ag.ny.gov and 1 more

Sarah Winchester: Sarah Lockwood Winchester in her only extant image circa 1920.

1922 · San Jose, California, USASarah Winchester inherited a rifle fortune and built a San Jose mansion; the medium who supposedly ordered it was invented in 1967Kind 2, with the record. Sarah Pardee married William Wirt Winchester, son of the rifle maker, in 1862. Their daughter Annie was born on 15 June 1866 and died within weeks. William died of tuberculosis in March 1881.skeptoid.com and 2 more

Elaine Wynn: CIS National Board Chair Elaine Wynn (cropped)

2010 · Las VegasElaine Wynn's divorce left her shares voting with her ex-husband's, and she sued Wynn Resorts to break the pactSteve and Elaine Wynn co-founded the businesses that became Wynn Resorts.foxbusiness.com and 2 more

Collyer Bros Park jeh: Looking northwest from 5th Avenue at en:Collyer brothers Park on a cloudy late afternoon.

1947 · 2078 Fifth Avenue, Harlem, New York City, USAThe Collyer brothers died in their inherited Harlem house under more than 100 tons of hoarded goods, and 56 people claimed the estateHerman Collyer, a Manhattan gynecologist, and Susie Collyer, a former opera singer, were first cousins. In 1909 they moved with their sons, Homer and Langley, into a four-storey brownstone at Fifth Avenue and 128th Street.messynessychic.com and 2 more

Jan Crouch: Jan Crouch TBN

2013 · Orange County, CaliforniaA granddaughter accused TV evangelists Paul and Jan Crouch in 2012 of spending their network's donations on themselvesPaul and Jan Crouch founded the Trinity Broadcasting Network in 1973. In 2004 the Los Angeles Times reported that TBN collected more than $120 million a year from viewers, more than any other TV ministry.Los Angeles Times and 2 more

Henry Ford and Charlie the Elephant at Universal City 1916 02

1947 · Dearborn, MichiganThe Fords put 90% of Ford Motor into a foundation and kept the votes, and Henry Ford II quit its board in 1976Edsel Ford and two executives chartered the Ford Foundation in Michigan on 15 January 1936. Henry Ford's will split his Ford Motor holdings into Class A nonvoting and Class B voting stock.Internet Archive and 3 more

Albert Coombs Barnes: Albert Coombs Barnes (January 2, 1872 – July 24, 1951)

1951 · near Phoenixville, PennsylvaniaA Pennsylvania judge let the Barnes Foundation move Albert Barnes's art to Philadelphia in 2004, against his indentureAlbert Barnes chartered the Barnes Foundation on 4 December 1922 as a school and opened its gallery in Merion on 19 March 1925.law.justia.com and 3 more

AI illustration: A Florida courthouse in the sun, 1984

1978 · FloridaJ. Roderick MacArthur sued his late father's $1.5 billion foundation in 1984 and asked a court to liquidate itJohn D. MacArthur owned Bankers Life and Casualty and land in Florida and New York. He died in 1978 worth more than $1 billion and left 92% of his estate to the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.UPI and 2 more

Brigham Young: Brigham Youngtitle QS:P1476,en:"Brigham Young"label QS:Len,"Brigham Young"

1877 · Salt Lake City, Utah, USAThe church claimed $999,000 of Brigham Young's estate, his heirs sued, and the three apostles who were his executors went to the penitentiaryAs the church's trustee-in-trust, Brigham Young held church property in his own name. He died on 29 August 1877. His executors were three apostles: George Q. Cannon, his son Brigham Young Jr., and Albert Carrington.wilfordwoodruffpapers.org and 3 more

Map of California, marked on the globe

2025 · Brentwood, Los Angeles, CaliforniaNick Reiner, charged with killing Rob and Michele Reiner, sues for his $1.5 million trust fundRob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70, died of knife wounds in their Brentwood home on December 14, 2025. Their son Nick, 32, was arrested that night and charged with two counts of first-degree murder.Deadline and 5 more

Robert Blake (actor): Robert Blake Baretta 1977

2023 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaRobert Blake was acquitted of murdering his wife, then ordered to pay her children $30 millionRobert Blake starred in "In Cold Blood" and won an Emmy for "Baretta." In May 2001 his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, 44, was shot dead in his car outside his favorite Italian restaurant in Studio City.CNN and 2 more

Takeoff: Rapper Takeoff performing on stage in in Toronto in 2017. Photo by Charito Yap.

2022 · 810 Billiards & Bowling, Houston, TexasTakeoff of Migos was shot dead with no will; his mother and father are fighting over the money the bowling alley paid for his deathKirsnick Khari Ball, known as Takeoff, was shot dead at 28 at a private party at a Houston bowling alley. He left no will. One report put his estate at $26 million.complex.com and 4 more

AI illustration: A probate court file on a desk in White Plains, New York, 2021

2021 · White Plains, New YorkDMX died without a will, leaving 15 children, a fiancée the court would not recognize, and an estate valued under $1 millionDMX, born Earl Simmons, died at 50 after a heart attack. He left no will. Under New York intestacy law his legal children inherit equally. Rival petitions reached the Westchester County Surrogate's Court within weeks.xxlmag.com and 3 more

Piet Mondrian: Piet Mondriaan

2021 · New York (Mondrian died 1944)Trustees for the family of Mondrian's heir Harry Holtzman sued the Philadelphia Museum of Art in December 2021 for a painting the Nazis took from a Hanover museum in 1937, valued at over $100 millionPiet Mondrian died in New York in 1944 and named the artist Harry Holtzman his heir. Holtzman died in 1987.govinfo.gov and 2 more

Hurricane West Virginia: Main Street in w:Hurricane, West Virginia.

2020 · Hurricane, Putnam County, West Virginia, USA (where the tickJack Whittaker won a $314.9 million Powerball jackpot, and his granddaughter and daughter were found dead within seven yearsJack Whittaker owned a contracting business and was already worth about $17 million when he bought a Powerball ticket at C&L SuperServe in Hurricane, West Virginia.wvencyclopedia.org and 2 more

Robert Indiana

2018 · Vinalhaven, MaineRobert Indiana was sued the day before he died alone on a Maine island, and his LOVE estate spent years in courtIndiana spent his last decades in a former Odd Fellows hall on Vinalhaven called Star of Hope. On 18 May 2018, the day before he died, the Morgan Art Foundation, which held rights to his images, sued in New York.maine.gov and 3 more

AI illustration: An empty basketball arena in Los Angeles, 2014

2014 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaDoctors declared Donald Sterling incapacitated, and his wife sold the Clippers out from under him for $2 billionIn April 2014 a recording of Clippers owner Donald Sterling making racist remarks became public. The NBA banned him for life and moved to force a sale.NPR and 1 more

Whitney Houston: Whitney Houston (cropped3)

2012 · Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills; hospice, GeorgiaWhitney Houston left everything to her daughter; three years later the daughter died and the money went to Whitney's mother and brothersWhitney Houston drowned in suite 434 of the Beverly Hilton the night before the 2012 Grammy Awards; heart disease and cocaine contributed. Her will, last updated in 2004, was approved in Fulton County, Georgia, in March 2012.abcnews.com and 3 more

Map of Illinois, marked on the globe

2012 · Chicago, Illinois, USAA Chicago man died of cyanide the day after his $1 million lottery check was issued, and his widow and siblings fought over the estateUrooj Khan, 46, owned dry-cleaning businesses in Chicago. In June 2012 he won $1 million on a scratch-off ticket bought at a 7-Eleven. He took a lump sum; the state's check after tax was $424,449.NBC News and 2 more

Davy Jones: Photo of The Monkees.

2012 · Stuart, FloridaDavy Jones's 2004 will left out the wife he married in 2009; she petitioned for half as a pretermitted spouse and the family sealed the fileDavy Jones died of a heart attack at 66. His will was dated 30 March 2004. In August 2009 he married Jessica Pacheco, then about 30, and he never updated the will. She was not named in it.m.flsenate.gov and 2 more

Frostproof-welcome: Frostproof Florida welcome sign

2009 · Plant City, Florida, USAA woman took over a $30 million lottery winner's money, and police found him buried under a concrete slabA Florida Lotto ticket sold at a Town Star store in Frostproof on 15 November 2006 won a $30 million jackpot. Abraham Shakespeare took a lump sum of $17 million.NBC News and 2 more

Claus von Bülow: Claus von Bülow on After Dark on 13 September 1997

2008 · Newport, Rhode Island, and New York, New York, USAClaus von Bülow was acquitted of trying to kill his wife, then gave up her fortune to settle her children's $56 million suitMartha "Sunny" von Bülow had two children, Annie Laurie and Alexander von Auersperg, by her first husband, Prince Alfred von Auersperg, and a daughter, Cosima, by her second, Claus von Bülow.UPI and 2 more

Ol' Dirty Bastard: Ol' Dirty Bastard, an American rapper, performing on MTV. He is wearing a blue jacket, and against a black background

2004 · New York CityOl' Dirty Bastard died without a will; his widow sued the Wu-Tang Clan for royalties while his children said they had received nothingRussell Jones, known as Ol' Dirty Bastard, died of an accidental drug overdose two days before his 36th birthday. He had no will, so New York law decided who inherited.blackenterprise.com and 1 more

AI illustration: A pickup truck parked overnight on a Pittsburgh street in winter, late 1990s

2002 · Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaHall of Famer Mike Webster lived in his truck, died at 50, and his estate won his NFL disability pay after his deathMike Webster played center for four Super Bowl-winning Steelers teams. After he retired he had amnesia, dementia, depression and constant pain. He lived out of his pickup truck or in train stations between Wisconsin and Pittsburgh.The New York Times and 3 more

Jack Kent Cooke: Jack Kent Cooke circa 1955 (cropped)

1997 · Washington, D.C.Jack Kent Cooke's will ordered the Redskins sold to fund his foundation, and his son was outbid by Daniel SnyderJack Kent Cooke left 90 percent of the Washington Redskins to the charitable foundation named after him.philanthropy.com and 3 more

Willem de Kooning: Willem de Kooning in his studio

1997 · Tucson, Arizona; Cliff, New MexicoWillem de Kooning's Woman-Ochre was cut from a Tucson museum frame in 1985 and found in 2017 at the estate sale of a retired coupleWillem de Kooning painted Woman-Ochre in 1954-55. Edward Gallagher Jr. gave it to the University of Arizona Museum of Art in 1958. On 29 November 1985, the day after Thanksgiving, a man and a woman entered as the museum opened.artmuseum.arizona.edu and 3 more

Tupac Shakur: Tupac Shakur in 1995

1996 · Las Vegas, NevadaTupac's mother beat his absent father in court and built his estate; her executor was then sued by Tupac's sisterTupac Shakur was shot in a drive-by in Las Vegas on 7 September 1996 and died six days later, aged 25. He left no will. His biological father, Billy Garland, sought half the estate.Los Angeles Times and 4 more

Selena: Selena Quintanilla 1986

1995 · Corpus Christi, TexasSelena was shot by her fan club president; her father later sued her widower to stop a TV show about herSelena Quintanilla-Pérez, 23, was shot at a Corpus Christi motel by Yolanda Saldívar, the founder of her fan club. Saldívar was convicted of murder on 23 October 1995 and sentenced to 30 years to life.ksat.com and 2 more

1995 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaEazy-E married on his deathbed and left Ruthless Records to his bride; his son challenged the marriage 21 years laterEazy-E, born Eric Wright, announced he had AIDS in March 1995. He married Tomica Woods on 14 March 1995 and died less than two weeks later. His will left his property, including Ruthless Records, to her.theblast.com and 2 more

Georgia O'Keeffe

1986 · Santa Fe, New MexicoGeorgia O'Keeffe's late codicils left most of a $65 million estate to her assistant, 58 years younger, and her family suedIn 1973 a young potter, Juan Hamilton, came to work for Georgia O'Keeffe at her New Mexico home. He was 58 years younger. As her eyesight failed he became her assistant and companion.UPI and 3 more

Rock Hudson - portrait

1985 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaA jury found Rock Hudson hid his AIDS from his lover and awarded $21.75 million against his estateOn July 25, 1985, Rock Hudson's spokeswoman in Paris said he had AIDS and had been diagnosed more than a year earlier. He died that October at 59. His will left his estate to a trust he set up in 1974.Los Angeles Times and 2 more

Tennessee Williams: Tennessee Williams NYWTS

1983 · New York CityTennessee Williams left his $10 million estate to Sewanee and his brother $25,000; the brother sued for undue influence and settled for $100,000Tennessee Williams signed his will in September 1980 and changed it slightly that December. It was filed in March 1983 with an estate of about $10 million.new.sewanee.edu and 4 more

Vic Morrow: Cropped screenshot showing Vic Morrow, from movie trailer of 1955 film Blackboard Jungle

1982 · Indian Dunes, Valencia, CaliforniaA helicopter killed Vic Morrow and two child actors on the Twilight Zone set in 1982, and director John Landis and four others were tried for manslaughter and acquitted in 1987On 23 July 1982, the last scheduled shooting day, a low-flying helicopter lost control after special-effects explosions during the Vietnam battle scene of Twilight Zone: The Movie.vice.com and 1 more

AI illustration: The beach at Golden Beach, Florida, on a rough day, 1979

1979 · Golden Beach, FloridaRams owner Carroll Rosenbloom drowned, his widow inherited 70 percent of the team, fired his son and moved the team to St. LouisCarroll Rosenbloom drowned while swimming in the ocean near his Florida home. To use the estate-tax marital deduction, his will gave 70 percent of the Rams to his wife, Georgia, and split 30 percent among his five children.Tampa Bay Times and 3 more

Florence Ballard: Florence Ballard (1965)

1976 · Mount Carmel Mercy Hospital, Detroit, MichiganFlorence Ballard was put out of the Supremes, barred from using the name for a $139,804 payment, and was on welfare seven years laterFlorence Ballard co-founded the Primettes in 1959 and chose the name "the Supremes" when Berry Gordy asked for a new one. After a 1967 show in Las Vegas, Gordy sent her back to Detroit and replaced her with Cindy Birdsong.legacy.com and 3 more

The Stooges: Iggy and The Stooges - 4572393187

1975 · Los Angeles area, CaliforniaThe Three Stooges' heirs fought each other over royalties, then won the case that set the limits of a dead star's likenessMoe Howard, Larry Fine and Joe DeRita formed Comedy III Productions in 1959 to handle Three Stooges business, each with an equal share.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 1 more

AI illustration: A rented room on Webster Avenue, Chicago, piled with handmade books and painted scrolls, 1973

1973 · ChicagoAbout 50 distant cousins of Henry Darger sued the landlords who saved his art, 49 years after his deathDarger was a hospital janitor who lived alone in one rented room. His landlords, Nathan and Kiyoko Lerner, found thousands of pages of writing and large illustrated panels in the room when he left.The Art Newspaper and 3 more

Pierre-Auguste Renoir: Pierre Auguste Renoir, uncropped image

1973 · France; Arizona, USAA French court gave Renoir's assistant Richard Guino co-authorship of the Renoir sculptures in 1973; his heirs won a US infringement verdict against Renoir's great-grandson in 2008Pierre-Auguste Renoir was crippled by arthritis. The sculptures published under his name between 1913 and 1917 were made with Richard Guino, his assistant. Guino's son sued in 1965 for his father to be recognised as co-author.cases.justia.com and 3 more

Igor Stravinsky: Photoportrait of Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. Taken by George Grantham Bain's news picture agency. Source: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2014712545/

1971 · New York, United StatesStravinsky's widow and children litigated his estate for four years, and the dispute over the royalties reached a New York appeals court in 2003Igor Stravinsky's will put his whole estate, mostly copyrights and royalties, in trust for his second wife, Vera.nycourts.gov and 3 more

Jack L. Warner: Jack Warner portrait copy

1958 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaJack Warner took control of Warner Bros. in 1956 after his brothers sold out; Harry died two years laterHarry, Albert and Jack Warner controlled Warner Bros. in 1956. In July 1956 the brothers agreed to sell control to a group led by Serge Semenenko, a vice president of the First National Bank of Boston.Internet Archive and 1 more

H. P. Lovecraft: Portrait of horror fiction writer, Howard P. Lovecraft.

1937 · Providence, Rhode IslandH. P. Lovecraft's literary executor died in 1951, his papers went to August Derleth, and no court has settled who owns his copyrightsH. P. Lovecraft died of cancer in Providence in 1937, aged 46, known mostly to readers of pulp magazines. He had named a young admirer, Robert H. Barlow, his literary executor. Barlow placed Lovecraft papers at Brown University.findingaids.library.tamu.edu and 3 more

Thomas Paine: Thomas Painetitle QS:P1476,en:"Thomas Paine"label QS:Len,"Thomas Paine"

1809 · 59 Grove Street, Greenwich Village, New YorkThomas Paine's bones were dug up by an admirer, shipped to England and lostPaine signed his will on 18 January 1809.American Heritage and 3 more

Robert Todd Lincoln: Lincoln, Robert (son of Abraham Lincoln) Crop

1882 · Chicago, Illinois, USARobert Lincoln had his mother declared insane the day after detectives saw $56,000 in bonds sewn into her petticoatsRobert Todd Lincoln, 31, petitioned in Cook County to have his mother, Mary Lincoln, declared insane and to be named conservator of her estate. He cited her spending: $450 for three watches, $600 for lace curtains.encyclopedia.com and 2 more

AI illustration: Police cars at night outside Greystone, the Doheny mansion in Beverly Hills, February 1929

1929 · Greystone, Beverly Hills, CaliforniaThe oil heir who carried $100,000 to the Interior Secretary was shot dead in his new mansion five months after moving inOilman Edward L. Doheny gave his son Ned 12.58 acres in Beverly Hills in 1926. The estate cost $3,166,578.12, of which the mansion, Greystone, cost $1,238,378.76.fjc.gov and 4 more

Robert Mondavi: Robert Mondavi (1971) (cropped)

2008 · Napa Valley, CaliforniaRobert Mondavi was pushed out of his family's winery after a fight with his brother, sued, and wonCesare and Rosa Mondavi bought the Charles Krug winery in 1943. Their sons Robert and Peter ran it. In 1965 the brothers fought over the business direction, reportedly including a physical fight, and Robert left.winespectator.com and 2 more

Cornelius Vanderbilt: Cornelius Vanderbilt Daguerrotype2 (cropped)(b)

1877 · 10 Washington Place, New York CityCornelius Vanderbilt left nearly all of $100 million to one son, and the son he passed over argued spiritualism had unhinged himCornelius Vanderbilt built a fortune in steamships and then railroads, including the New York Central. He died worth about $100 million.American Heritage and 3 more

Kilkenny Castle, where the story took place

1997 · Chicago, IllinoisThe Butlers sold Kilkenny Castle to the town for £50 in 1967, and the Ormonde earldoms went dormant in 1997The Butlers, Earls and later Marquesses of Ormonde, kept a collection of about 500 paintings at Kilkenny Castle, the largest in Ireland.kilkennycastle.ie and 5 more

Map of Maryland, marked on the globe

2005 · Baltimore, Maryland, USARobert Kearns showed Ford his intermittent wiper, sued for decades, won about $30 million and lost his marriageRobert Kearns, a college professor, was nearly blinded by a champagne cork on his wedding night in 1953. In 1963 he built intermittent windshield wipers from off-the-shelf electronic parts and showed them to Ford.Deseret News and 3 more

Sacagawea: Detail Lewis & Clark at Three Forks

1812 · Manuel Lisa's fort, upper Missouri RiverWilliam Clark became court guardian of Sacagawea's two children in 1813 and freed York only years after the expeditionOn 20 August 1806 William Clark wrote to Toussaint Charbonneau offering to raise his son with Sacagawea, Jean Baptiste ("Pomp"), and "treat him as my own child." Charbonneau was paid $500.33 and a horse for the expedition.US National Park Service and 5 more

Glensheen

1977 · Glensheen, Duluth, MinnesotaAn heiress and her nurse were killed inside Glensheen, and the adopted daughter who stood to inherit $8 million was acquittedGlensheen is the Lake Superior estate of the Congdon family, whose fortune came from iron mining. In 1968 the heirs gave it to the University of Minnesota.Internet Archive and 4 more

August Busch III: August Busch III, New York Amsterdam News 1977 11 26 pg44 (cropped)

1989 · St. LouisAugust Busch III ousted his father from Anheuser-Busch in a boardroom coup, and 33 years later the family lost the companyGussie Busch ran Anheuser-Busch, founded by his great-grandfather's partner and his grandfather Adolphus, and the St. Louis Cardinals.Google Books and 3 more

Adolphus Busch: Adolphus busch2

1913 · Villa Lilly, Bad Schwalbach, Germany; St. Louis, Missouri, UAdolphus Busch's widow stayed in Germany during World War I, and the US Alien Property Custodian took her share of the brewery until she came homeAdolphus Busch, co-founder of Anheuser-Busch, died at Villa Lilly, his estate at Bad Schwalbach in Germany, on 10 October 1913. His estate was valued at up to $60 million. His body was shipped to St. Louis for burial.missourioverthere.org and 3 more

Jane Stanford: Portrait of Jane Stanford

1905 · Moana Hotel, Honolulu, HawaiiJane Stanford, sole funder of Stanford University, died of strychnine in 1905 and the university president said it was natural causesLeland and Jane Stanford founded the university in 1885 in memory of their only child.Internet Archive and 2 more

Benjamin Franklintitle QS:P1476,en:"Benjamin Franklin"label QS:Len,"Benjamin Franklin": A painting of Benjamin Franklin ca. 1785

1790 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Boston, Massachusetts, USABenjamin Franklin left Boston and Philadelphia £1,000 each for 200 years, and his heirs, a school and the state fought over itA codicil dated 23 June 1789 left £1,000 to the inhabitants of Boston and £1,000 to Philadelphia. The money was to be lent at 5 percent to young married artificers under 25 to set up in business.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 2 more

Kim Jung-ju: Kim Jung-ju presenting in 2016 (cropped)

2022 · Seoul, South Korea (died in the United States)Nexon founder Kim Jung-ju's family paid inheritance tax with 29.3 percent of his holding company, and the government could not find a buyerKim Jung-ju founded Nexon. He died in the United States in February 2022, aged 54.Korea JoongAng Daily and 2 more

Iolani Palace, photograph by Frederick George Eyton-Walker, c. 1890

1917 · ʻIolani Palace, Honolulu, HawaiiHawaii's last queen was imprisoned in an upstairs bedroom of her own palace, and the building served as the capitol of the government that removed her until 1969King Kalākaua built ʻIolani Palace in Honolulu from 1879 to 1882 for more than $340,000.iolanipalace.org and 2 more

Map of Texas, marked on the globe

1987 · Dallas, Texas, USAClint Murchison Jr. inherited an oil fortune, bought the Dallas Cowboys for $550,000, and died $100 million short of his debtsClint Murchison Sr. made a fortune in oil, real estate, construction and railroads in the 1920s and 1930s. His sons Clint Jr. and John inherited it and did business as Murchison Brothers from the late 1940s. In 1960 Clint Jr.UPI and 2 more

AI illustration: Orange groves and bean fields on the Irvine Ranch, Orange County, 1940s

1947 · CaliforniaJoan Irvine Smith fought the foundation that controlled her grandfather's Irvine Ranch for 33 years and left with $256 millionJames Irvine II owned the Irvine Company and about 110,000 acres in what became Orange County. His intended successor, his son James Jr., died in 1935.Los Angeles Times and 2 more

AI illustration: A newspaper office on a palm-lined street in Santa Barbara, California

1997 · Seattle and Santa BarbaraCraig McCaw's ex-wife took about $460 million, mostly in Nextel stock, and bought a California newspaper with itCraig McCaw built McCaw Cellular and sold it to AT&T in 1994 for about $11.5 billion. He and Wendy McCaw separated in early 1995 after 21 years of marriage, when his fortune was more than $1 billion.The Seattle Times and 2 more

Marshall Field: Marshall Field circa 1915 (cropped)

1906 · Chicago, Illinois, USAMarshall Field's son was shot two months before he died, and his will locked his fortune away for the grandsons until 1943Marshall Field built Chicago's largest dry goods business. Graceland Cemetery puts his estate at $125 million. On 22 November 1905 his only son, Marshall Field Jr., 37, was shot in the abdomen and died days later.Time and 3 more

Margaret Fuller: Daguerreotype of Margaret Fuller (1810-1850). Further information from Margaret Fuller: An American Romantic Life (Volume 1) by Charles Capper: The original daguer

1850 · off Fire Island, New YorkMargaret Fuller, her husband and their son drowned 100 yards from Fire Island in 1850, and her manuscript history of the Roman Republic was lostMargaret Fuller reported from Rome on the 1849 Roman Republic and wrote a history of it.Wikipedia (English)

Hope Diamond, 45.52 Carats, South Africa (10436497285): Natural History Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Complete indexed photo collection at WorldHistoryPics.com.

1839 · London, England; Paris, France; Washington, D.C., USAA banker's nephews fought ten years over his jewels, and the heir who got the Hope Diamond could sell it only with the court's permissionIn 1668 the gem merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier sold Louis XIV a blue diamond of 115 metric carats for 220,000 livres.gia.edu and 4 more

AI illustration: A wedding bouquet on a hospital bedside table in Washington, D.C., 2004

2004 · Washington, D.C.Dart Group's founder fired his son during his own divorce, then married on his deathbed and cut his children out of his willHerbert Haft founded Dart Drug in Washington and built the Dart Group, which controlled Crown Books, Trak Auto and Total Beverage.Bloomberg and 3 more

Ames Mansion Borderland: Ames Mansion, Borderland State Park, Easton, Massachusetts

Fiction · 2019 · Massachusetts, USA (setting)In Knives Out, a novelist leaves everything to his nurse, his grandson frames her so the slayer rule will cut her out, and the plan failsKnives Out is a 2019 mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson. Harlan Thrombey, an 85-year-old crime novelist, dies the morning after his birthday party at his Massachusetts mansion.thewealthadvisor.com and 2 more

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Sergei Rachmaninoff cph.3a40575

1943 · Beverly Hills, CaliforniaRussia's culture minister demanded Rachmaninoff's remains back from New York, and his descendants said noSergei Rachmaninoff left Russia in 1917 after the Bolshevik revolution. He became a US citizen shortly before he died of cancer at 69. He was buried at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York, with his wife and daughter.Smithsonian Magazine and 3 more

Reynolda House south facade 1919: Thomas Warren Sears photonegative of the south face of the Reynolda House in 1919, showing the official entrance and porte-cochere.

1932 · Reynolda, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USAA tobacco heir was shot at Reynolda, his pregnant widow was indicted for murder, and their son was paid $6.25 millionZachary Smith Reynolds was the youngest child of R. J. and Katharine Reynolds.dncr.nc.gov and 4 more

Lillian Leitzel: Lillian Leitzel (1931)

1931 · Copenhagen, Denmark; Long Beach, CaliforniaLillian Leitzel fell to her death in 1931, and her widower Alfredo Codona shot his third wife and himself in 1937 during a property splitLillian Leitzel, a Ringling Bros. aerialist, fell on 13 February 1931 at the Valencia Music Hall in Copenhagen when the swivel holding her rope broke. She died two days later, aged 39.circusringoffame.org and 3 more

Harry Houdini: Harry Houdini

1926 · Detroit, MichiganHoudini's great-nephew and two authors announced a 2007 plan to exhume his body to test for poisonHarry Houdini died at 52 on 31 October 1926. The accepted account is that a punch to the stomach in Montreal on 22 October ruptured his appendix, causing peritonitis. No autopsy was performed.wildabouthoudini.com and 2 more

Jack London: Jack London young

1916 · Glen Ellen, CaliforniaJack London left nearly his entire estate to his wife Charmian in 1916; she kept the ranch, evicted a biographer, and her 1938 will turned it into a state parkJack London died on his Beauty Ranch at 40. His death certificate lists uremia following acute renal colic. He also had dysentery and alcoholism, and was taking morphine and opium. Older accounts called it suicide.parks.ca.gov and 3 more

Griffith J. Griffith: Griffith Jenkins Griffith

1919 · Los Angeles, California, USAGriffith J. Griffith gave Los Angeles a 3,015-acre park, shot his wife and went to prison, and used his will to build the Griffith ObservatoryGriffith J. Griffith, a Welsh-born mining expert, bought about 4,000 acres of Rancho Los Feliz in 1882. In 1887 he married Tina Mesmer; her property was transferred to him before the wedding.cdcr.ca.gov and 3 more

Meriwether Lewis: Meriwether Lewis-Charles Willson Peale

1809 · Grinder's Stand, Natchez Trace, TennesseeMeriwether Lewis died insolvent with his drafts refused by the War Department, and 198 relatives have not been allowed to exhume his bodyThree years after the expedition, Meriwether Lewis was governor of Upper Louisiana and owed money. On 16 June 1809 he drew an $81 bill on the Secretary of War, William Eustis.US National Park Service and 7 more

AI illustration: A long boardroom table with ballot papers, New York, 2007

2007 · New York and BostonDow Jones's family owners split over Murdoch's $5 billion offer, and adviser fees helped decide the voteThe Bancroft family controlled Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal since 1902, holding 64 percent of the shareholder vote through a series of trusts. On May 1, 2007 News Corp. made public a $5 billion offer.CNBC and 2 more

AI illustration: A notarized paper on a New York lawyer's desk, 1970s

1973 · New YorkMario Lalli called Robert "my son" in a notarized paper, and the Supreme Court still let New York shut him out of the estateMario Lalli died in New York on 7 January 1973 without a will. His widow, Rosamond Lalli, became administratrix. Robert Lalli said he was Mario's son, born outside marriage, and asked for an accounting of the estate.Cornell Law School, LII and 1 more

Calumet farm 2012: View of stables at Calumet Farm, Lexington, KY

1950 · Lexington, Kentucky, USACalumet Farm passed to a widow for life, then to a grandson-in-law who ran up $127 million in debt and went to prisonWarren Wright Sr. died in 1950.The Seattle Times and 3 more

John Ringling: John Nicholas Ringling

1936 · New York CityJohn Ringling left his Venetian mansion and art museum to Florida and died with $311 in the bank, and the state fought his creditors for ten yearsJohn Ringling was the last of the original Ringling brothers. From 1924 to 1926 he built Ca' d'Zan, a mansion on Sarasota Bay, for himself and his wife Mable, and next to it a museum for his Old Master paintings.ringlingdocents.org and 4 more

Marie Robertson: Marie Robertson på filmpremiären av Jack Reacher i Filmstaden i Stockholm den 11 december 2012.

1972 · New YorkMarie Robertson's heirs sued Princeton over her $35 million gift in 2002 and settled in 2008 with $40 million in legal fees repaidIn 1961 Charles and Marie Robertson gave $35 million to expand the graduate program of Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School. Marie was an heir to the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company fortune.princeton.edu and 1 more

Pearl S. Buck: Pearl S. Buck - 1960

1973 · Danby, VermontPearl S. Buck left three contradictory wills, a dance instructor and her seven adopted children fought for six years, and a Vermont court found undue influencePearl S. Buck met Theodore F. Harris, a 32-year-old dance instructor, in 1963, when she was 70. In 1964 she founded the Pearl S. Buck Foundation and named him chief executive.inquirer.com and 4 more

James Cook: Captain James Cook, 1728-79 title QS:P1476,en:"Captain James Cook, 1728-79 "label QS:Len,"Captain James Cook, 1728-79 "

1779 · Kealakekua Bay, HawaiiCaptain Cook's body was returned in pieces, and his widow outlived all six children and destroyed his letters before she died in 1835James Cook married Elizabeth Batts on 21 December 1762. In 17 years of marriage they lived together about four years. Cook was killed at Kealakekua Bay on 14 February 1779.register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk and 6 more

The Hershey Company: Hershey Factory

1945 · Hershey, PennsylvaniaThe Hershey school paid $12 million for a failing golf course, and the attorney general twice demanded reforms of its boardIn 2006 the Milton Hershey School, funded by the trust that controls The Hershey Company, bought the money-losing Wren Dale Golf Club for $12 million, calling it "buffer land" for student safety, and added a $5 million clubhouse.philly.com and 3 more

Rice University - William Marsh Rice statue

1900 · New York CityA lawyer and a valet killed William Marsh Rice in 1900 to take the fortune he left to found Rice InstituteRice made his money in Texas land, cotton, lumber and railroads. The 1860 census valued his property at $750,000 and ranked him the richest man in Houston. From 1882 his wills directed most of his estate to an institute in Houston.chroniclingamerica.loc.gov and 2 more

AI illustration: The green hills of Marin County above San Francisco Bay, 1970s

1975 · Marin County, CaliforniaBeryl Buck left oil stock for Marin County, Shell's purchase made it worth $253 million, and a court kept it in MarinLeonard Buck, a pathologist whose father Frank Buck co-founded Belridge Oil, died in 1953.sfgate.com and 1 more

Lemp Mansion 2012: Lemp Mansion in 2012

1904 · Lemp Mansion, 3322 South 13th Street, St. Louis, Missouri, UThree Lemps shot themselves in the family mansion, Prohibition closed the brewery, and the house now sells haunted toursKind 1 and kind 2. Johann Adam Lemp arrived in St. Louis from Germany in 1838 and began brewing. His son William J. Lemp moved the brewery to its present site in 1864, and by the mid-1870s it was the largest in the city.stlouis-mo.gov and 4 more

Aldrich Ames Drop Site Mailbox: USPS mail collection box used to communicate meeting requests between Soviet intelligence handlers and U.S. Government employee Aldrich Ames. This F

2026 · Arlington, Virginia, USA; federal prison, Maryland, USACIA officer Aldrich Ames paid cash for a $540,000 house on a salary under $70,000; he and his wife forfeited the proceeds, and she went to prison while their son lived in BogotáAldrich Ames worked in CIA counterintelligence against the Soviet Union. From 1985 he gave the KGB the names of Western agents. By 1 May 1989 the KGB had paid him more than $1.8 million and set aside another $900,000.irp.fas.org and 3 more

AI illustration: Office towers in Salt Lake City below the Wasatch mountains

2023 · Salt Lake City, UtahThe SEC fined the LDS Church and Ensign Peak $5 million for hiding its stock portfolio behind 13 shell companiesThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints created Ensign Peak Advisors in 1997 to invest reserves built from excess tithing. It began with about $7 billion.sec.gov and 2 more

Cash from LEWIS drop site-Hanssen case: Pieniądze zostawione przez agenta SVR dla R. Hanssena

2023 · Vienna, Virginia, USA; ADX Florence, Colorado, USAFBI spy Robert Hanssen forfeited $1.4 million from Moscow and his pension, and his plea deal left his wife the house, three cars and a survivor annuityRobert Hanssen was an FBI counterintelligence agent. Around 1980 his wife, Bonnie, found that he was dealing with the Soviets. He told her he was feeding them false information. She made him confess to an Opus Dei priest, the Rev.justice.gov and 3 more

AI illustration: A power strip assembly line in a Chicago factory

2022 · Chicago, IllinoisBarre Seid gave his company to a new 501(c)(4) run by Leonard Leo, a $1.6 billion political gift that avoided up to $400 million in taxBarre Seid ran Tripp Lite, a Chicago maker of surge protectors and data-center equipment, for more than half a century and owned 100% of it. His income reached about $157 million in 2018, ProPublica reported from tax records.propublica.org and 2 more

Iolani Palace in 1885: Iolani Palace in 1885.

2022 · Honolulu, Hawaii, USAHawaii's "last princess" was ruled unable to manage her $215 million trust, married her partner during the court fight, and the settlement gave her wife $40 millionAbigail Kawānanakoa was born in 1926.civilbeat.org and 2 more

Melinda Gates: DAVOS/SWITZERLAND, 28JAN11 - William H. Gates III (FLTR), Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USA, and Melinda French Gates, Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda

2021 · SeattleMelinda French Gates left the Gates Foundation with $12.5 billion from Bill Gates under their divorce agreementBill and Melinda Gates married in 1994 and co-founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. They announced their divorce in May 2021.nbcwashington.com and 2 more

AI illustration: A Wilshire Boulevard law office tower in Los Angeles at night

2021 · Los Angeles, California, USATom Girardi was put under his brother's conservatorship with Alzheimer's disease, then convicted of stealing client money and sent to prison at 86Tom Girardi won the $333 million Hinkley settlement with PG&E and in a sworn statement valued himself at $264 million. He married Erika Jayne in 2000; she joined The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in its sixth season.Los Angeles Times and 7 more

Walterboro - Colleton County Court House 01: Photomechanical print (postcard) : halftone, colored Divided back

2021 · Moselle, Colleton County, South Carolina, USAAlex Murdaugh renounced his murdered wife's estate, the family estate sold for $3.9 million, and in 2026 South Carolina's top court threw out his murder convictionMaggie Murdaugh and her younger son, Paul, were shot dead at the family's Moselle estate in June 2021. Her will left everything to her husband, Alex, a lawyer from a prominent local family.digital-release.wsav.com and 3 more

AI illustration: A will in an envelope in a mail tray, 2025

2020 · New London, Connecticut, USA (house fire)Zappos founder Tony Hsieh died with no will, and five years later a will appeared in the mail naming a witness who may not existTony Hsieh sold Zappos to Amazon and spent his fortune remaking downtown Las Vegas. He died at 46 after a fire in New London, Connecticut. No will was found. A Clark County judge appointed his father, Richard Hsieh, administrator.yahoo.com and 3 more

Cambodge-1223: Les vestiges du Prasat Krachap, un des temples du site de Koh Ker - Cambodge

2020 · Bangkok, Thailand; Koh Ker, Cambodia; New York, USAA Bangkok dealer died under US indictment for selling looted Khmer statues, and his daughter gave the 125 pieces she inherited back to CambodiaDouglas Latchford lived in Bangkok and was for decades a leading supplier of Cambodian sculpture to Western museums and collectors. He published books on Khmer art and was feted by Cambodian officials.ice.gov and 4 more

2016 · Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAChesapeake founder Aubrey McClendon was indicted for rigging oil lease bids and died in a crash the next day, and the claims moved to his estateAubrey McClendon co-founded Chesapeake Energy with Tom Ward. By 2005 it was the second-largest US natural gas producer.fortune.com and 3 more

Henry Street Settlement 263-267 Henry Street: 263-267 Henry Street between Montgomery and Grand Streets in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City are part of the Henry Str

2016 · Brooklyn, New York, USAA legal secretary bought the same stocks as her bosses for decades and left more than $8 million to scholarships, and her husband may not have knownSylvia Bloom grew up in Brooklyn during the Depression and earned a Hunter College degree at night. In 1947 she joined the law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton as a secretary.CBS News and 3 more

Map of New York, marked on the globe

2014 · Manhattan, New York, USAL'Wren Scott left her $9 million estate to Mick Jagger and wrote that she had left out her family on purposeL'Wren Scott was born Luann Bambrough and raised by an adoptive Mormon family in Utah. She left at 17 to become a stylist and designer. On 17 March 2014 she was found dead in her Manhattan condominium, aged 49.CBS News and 2 more

Construction signs Brooks Memorial Library 224 Main Street downtown Brattleboro VT September 2026: Construction signs on sidewalk at Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main Street in dow

2014 · Brattleboro, Vermont, USAA Vermont gas station attendant and janitor left more than $8 million in stocks, and his stepson had no ideaRonald Read grew up in Dummerston, Vermont, and served in the Army in Italy in the Second World War.rutlandherald.com and 2 more

Map of Missouri, marked on the globe

2013 · St. Louis, Missouri, USATwo brothers bought life insurance to keep their company in the family, and the Supreme Court counted the payout in the dead brother's estateMichael and Thomas Connelly were the only shareholders of Crown C Supply, a small building supply company in St. Louis. Michael owned 77.18 percent and Thomas 22.82 percent.Supreme Court of the United States and 2 more

Wegelin Hauptgebäude St Gallen Front: Bankhaus Wegelin & Co. in St. Gallen, Schweiz

2012 · St. Gallen, Switzerland; New York, USASwitzerland's oldest bank took the American clients UBS dropped, pleaded guilty in New York, and closed after 272 yearsCaspar Zyli, a linen merchant, founded the firm in St. Gallen in 1741. It took the name Wegelin & Co. in 1893. It was a partnership whose senior partners were personally liable, and their names were part of its legal name.justice.gov and 2 more

Surrogate's Office, Richmond, Staten Island, N.Y (NYPL b15279351-104593): * Postcard categories and title comments in brackets [ ] provided by collector, Catherine Robinson.

2012 · Staten Island, New York, USARoman Blum left about $40 million and no will in 2012, a Surrogate's Court threw out a will naming a disbarred lawyer, and a Moscow man says he is the great-grandsonRoman Blum survived the Holocaust and became a real estate developer on Staten Island. He died in 2012 at 97 with about $40 million and no will. His lawyer, Herb Nass, said he had urged him to make one.CBS News and 3 more

AI illustration: Polo ponies on the field at Wellington, Florida

2010 · Wellington, FloridaA polo club founder adopted his 42-year-old girlfriend after a fatal drunk-driving crash, giving her a share of his children's trustJohn Goodman's family sold Goodman Manufacturing to Apollo Management for about $1.43 billion in 2004. He founded the International Polo Club Palm Beach.abcnews.com and 3 more

Lake Forest College autumn: Photo of Lake Forest College. By Henry Salas.

2010 · Lake Forest, Illinois, USAA secretary bought three Abbott shares for $180 in 1935, never sold them, and left $7 million to Lake Forest CollegeGrace Groner graduated from Lake Forest College in 1931. Wikipedia says she and her twin sister, Gladys, were orphaned when Grace was 12 and that George Anderson, a local figure, paid for both sisters' college.lakeforest.edu and 3 more

Steve Cohen (businessman): Steve baseball 4 (1) (cropped)

2009 · New YorkSteve Cohen's first wife sued him 19 years after their divorce, alleging he hid $5.5 million, and an appeals court revived the caseSteven Cohen married Patricia Finke in 1979, and they divorced in 1990. Cohen went on to found SAC Capital and become a billionaire.The Wall Street Journal and 2 more

Edith Windsor: Edie Windsor DC Pride 2017

2009 · New York City, New York, USAEdith Windsor paid $363,053 in estate tax because the United States did not recognise her marriage to Thea Spyer, and the Supreme Court struck the law downEdith Windsor met Thea Spyer, a psychologist, in New York in 1963. In 1967 Spyer proposed with a diamond pin instead of a ring, so that no one would ask questions the couple could not answer.Cornell Law School, LII and 2 more

Map of California, marked on the globe

2008 · California, USAA son used his dying mother's power of attorney to move $10 million into a partnership and a charity trust a week before she died, and the Tax Court undid itNancy Powell was terminally ill and incapacitated in August 2008. Her son Jeffrey held her power of attorney, which allowed gifts only up to the federal annual exclusion.currentfederaltaxdevelopments.com and 2 more

UBS Headquarters, Zurich (Ank Kumar, Infosys Limited) 03: UBS Headquarters, Zurich (Ank Kumar, Infosys Limited)

2008 · Geneva, Switzerland; Washington, D.C., USAA UBS banker told the US how the bank hid Americans' money, went to prison for 31 months, and the IRS paid him $104 millionBradley Birkenfeld, an American, was a private banker for UBS in Geneva.csmonitor.com and 2 more

Vincent Gallo: Vincent Gallo-1-2

2007 · Modesto, CaliforniaThe Gallo brothers raised their younger brother after their parents' murder-suicide, then sued him for using the family nameOn June 21, 1933, Joseph Gallo Sr. shot his wife Susie and then himself on their California farm. Their sons Ernest and Julio founded E. & J. Gallo Winery that year and became guardians of their 13-year-old brother Joseph.law.resource.org and 2 more

Pissarro - rue-saint-honore-afternoon-rain-effect-1897: Work by Camille Pissarro

2005 · Berlin, Germany; Madrid, Spain; Los Angeles, California, USALilly Cassirer gave up her Pissarro to the Nazis for an exit visa in 1939, and her heirs' suit against Spain's Thyssen museum went to decision in October 2026Camille Pissarro painted Rue Saint-Honoré, Afternoon, Effect of Rain in 1897. Lilly Cassirer owned it in Berlin. In 1939, to get an exit visa to England, where her grandson Claude had gone, she gave it to the Nazis.Cornell Law School, LII and 3 more

JB Pritzker: JB Pritzker 2026 (less cropped)

2002 · ChicagoA 19-year-old Pritzker heir sued her father and 11 cousins for raiding her trusts, and took about $450 millionThe Pritzker fortune, built on Hyatt and Marmon, was held in hundreds of family trusts. After patriarch Jay Pritzker died in 1999, the family agreed to divide the fortune among 11 cousins over about a decade.Internet Archive and 2 more

AI illustration: The Supreme Court of the United States building, Washington

2002 · FloridaTwins conceived after their father's death were denied his Social Security benefits by a unanimous Supreme CourtRobert and Karen Capato married in May 1999. Soon after, Robert was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Told chemotherapy might leave him sterile, he deposited semen at a sperm bank, where it was frozen.Cornell Law School, LII and 2 more

Map of California, marked on the globe

2001 · Los Angeles, California, USAA doctor patented a cell line from John Moore's spleen, and California's Supreme Court ruled that Moore did not own his cellsJohn Moore was treated for hairy-cell leukaemia at the UCLA Medical Center from 5 October 1976. His physician, David Golde, had his spleen removed on 20 October 1976.scocal.stanford.edu and 2 more

AI illustration: Orange-and-white rental trucks lined up in a Phoenix, Arizona, lot

1999 · Phoenix, Arizona, and Telluride, ColoradoU-Haul's founder lost his company to his sons, a daughter-in-law was shot dead, and a jury awarded his side $1.47 billionL.S. Shoen founded U-Haul in 1945 and gave most of his shares to his 13 children. By 1988 the children had split into two camps.phoenixnewtimes.com and 2 more

AI illustration: The golden domes of the Istana Nurul Iman palace, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

1998 · Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei; London; New YorkBrunei accused the sultan's brother of taking billions as finance minister, and the Privy Council ordered him to hand over his hotelsPrince Jefri Bolkiah, youngest brother of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, was Brunei's finance minister and head of the Brunei Investment Agency (BIA) for 13 years.nycourts.gov and 2 more

Charles Kuralt 1976 CBS publicity

1997 · New York CityCBS newsman Charles Kuralt kept a second family for 29 years, and a letter from his hospital bed gave his mistress his Montana landCharles Kuralt was CBS's roving reporter on "On the Road." In 1968 he met Patricia Elizabeth Shannon in Reno. For 29 years he kept a relationship with her while married to Suzanna "Petie" Baird.FindLaw Caselaw and 3 more

AI illustration: The Moody Mansion and the Strand in Galveston, Texas

1996 · Galveston, TexasShearn Moody Jr. was accused of making Moody Foundation grants to himself, and the IRS sought $14 millionW.L. Moody Jr. and his wife Libbie chartered the Moody Foundation in 1942; Fortune put the initial endowment at $400 million.Internet Archive and 2 more

Yeshiva University Stern College for Women 253 Lexington Avenue: 253 Lexington Avenue at the corner of East 35th Street in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City,

1995 · New York City, New York, USAAn IRS auditor who said she was held back as a Jewish woman left $22 million in stock to Yeshiva University, a school she had no ties toAnne Scheiber worked as an auditor at the Internal Revenue Service. J. Weekly reported that her highest salary there was $3,150 a year.jweekly.com and 2 more

Map of Texas, marked on the globe

1994 · Waco, Texas, USAA son-in-law moved 98 percent of a dying Texan's fortune into a family partnership the day after a "Fortress Plan" seminar, and the IRS taxed all of itAlbert Strangi signed a power of attorney in 1988 naming his son-in-law, Michael Gulig, as his agent.FindLaw Caselaw and 1 more

General Yamashita Surrenders: General Yamashita, Commander, Japanese forces, ‘Tiger of Malaya,” and his staff walk down the trail to U.S. forces in northern Luzon, occupied by Co ‘

1993 · Baguio City, Philippines; Honolulu, Hawaii, USAA Baguio locksmith said Marcos's men seized his golden Buddha, and a Hawaii jury valued the gold he never got back at $22 billionRogelio Roxas was a locksmith and treasure hunter in Baguio City. He searched for the "Yamashita treasure", war loot that legend says Japanese troops under General Tomoyuki Yamashita buried in the Philippines in 1945.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 4 more

Downtown Bentonville at Blue Hour: Terry Block Building and Walton 5&10 in downtown Bentonville, Arkansas at blue hour

1993 · Washington, D.C., USA (US Tax Court)Audrey Walton put about $200 million of Wal-Mart stock into two trusts reported as gifts worth nothing, and the Tax Court ruled for her against the IRSAudrey J. Walton was the former wife of the brother of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. In 1990 Congress replaced a trust it had called abusive with the grantor retained annuity trust, or GRAT.irs.gov and 2 more

AI illustration: Frozen sample vials lifted in a rack from a steaming liquid-nitrogen tank, early 1990s, unlabelled

1991 · Las Vegas, Nevada; estate probated in Los AngelesA Los Angeles man willed 15 vials of his sperm to his girlfriend before killing himself, and his children asked the court to destroy themIn October 1991 William Everett Kane, 48, deposited 15 vials of sperm at California Cryobank in Los Angeles and authorised release to Deborah Hecht, his partner of about five years.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 3 more

WangHQ: Old headquarters of Wang Laboratories in Lowell, MA

1990 · Boston and Lowell, Massachusetts, USAAn Wang put his son in charge of a $3 billion company, the son was out by 1989, and Wang Laboratories went bankrupt in 1992An Wang, a Chinese immigrant, founded Wang Laboratories in Boston in 1951 with his savings, $600 in one account, as its only employee. He developed magnetic core memory and held more than 40 patents.scholar-dev.cloud.lib.vt.edu and 4 more

Halston evening dress: Sequined polyester 1974, USA Gift of Celanese, 80.128.12 YSL + Halston: Fashioning the 70s Photograph by Eileen Costa © The Museum at FIT.

1990 · San Francisco, California, USAHalston sold his name with his company for $16 million and was then barred from itRoy Halston Frowick was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1932. Jacqueline Kennedy wore his pillbox hat to the 1961 inauguration. In 1972 Newsweek named him the best designer in America. In 1973 Norton Simon Inc.UPI and 2 more

CodexLeicester: Ghezzi-Coke-Hammer-Gates Kodeks

1990 · England; Los Angeles, California, USADeath duties forced an earl's family to sell Leonardo's notebook in 1980, and a widow's niece's lawsuit forced its next owner's museum to sell it againLeonardo da Vinci filled a notebook with studies of water and the moon in the years after 1508. Thomas Coke, later the first Earl of Leicester, bought it in 1717 and kept it at the family estate.history.com and 2 more

1907 Saint-Gaudens double eagle high relief obverse: Obverse of 1907 high relief Saint-Gaudens double eagle

1990 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USAA jeweller's daughter found ten 1933 gold double eagles in his safe-deposit box, handed them to the Mint to authenticate, and the government kept themIn 1933 the Philadelphia Mint struck 445,500 Saint-Gaudens $20 gold pieces. Roosevelt's orders that spring stopped banks paying out gold, and none were issued. By 1937 all were supposed to have been melted.cdn.sanity.io and 3 more

Shiprock, New Mexico uranium mill aerial photo: Aerial photograph of Shiprock, New Mexico uranium mill tailings pile and surrounding area, 2002. The view is looking toward the sout

1990 · Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, USANavajo uranium miners died of radiation, and their widows had to prove marriages made by Navajo custom to collect $100,000From 1944 to 1986 nearly 30 million tons of uranium ore were mined on Navajo land under leases with the Navajo Nation. The mines left 523 abandoned sites. On 15 October 1990 President George H. W.Cornell Law School, LII and 4 more

Map of New York, marked on the globe

1989 · 1 LaVeta Place, Nyack, Rockland County, New York, USAA New York court ruled the Nyack house "haunted as a matter of law" and let the buyer walk away from $650,000Kind 1. Helen Ackley and her family lived at 1 LaVeta Place, an 1890 Victorian on the Hudson.blogs.loc.gov and 3 more

AI illustration: Newspaper presses running in Louisville, Kentucky, 1986

1988 · Louisville, KentuckyThe Binghams sold the Louisville Courier-Journal after a daughter demanded her shares be bought outRobert Worth Bingham bought the Courier-Journal in 1918 with money inherited from his wife, Mary Lily Kenan Flagler. Barry Bingham Sr. served on the Pulitzer Prize board.pulitzer.org and 2 more

AI illustration: A family trust document on a kitchen table in a Chicago suburb, 2009

1986 · Cook County, IllinoisMax Feinberg's trust treated any grandchild who married outside Judaism as dead, and the Illinois Supreme Court let it standMax Feinberg died in 1986, leaving his wife Erla, his children Michael and Leila, and five grandchildren. His will poured his assets into a trust. After Erla's death, half the trust was to be held for the grandchildren for life.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 3 more

Indian Land for Sale: United States Department of the Interior advertisement offering 'Indian Land for Sale'. The man pictured is a Yankton Sioux named Not Afraid Of Pawnee.

1983 · South Dakota, USAA 40-acre allotment had 439 owners, Congress let tiny shares pass to the tribe instead of the heirs, and the Supreme Court struck the law down twiceAllotment divided reservations into parcels held in federal trust for individual Indians. Each death split a parcel among more heirs.Cornell Law School, LII and 3 more

Samuel Newhouse: Undated photo of Samuel Newhouse, business person in the mining industry

1979 · Staten Island, New York, USAThe IRS valued Samuel Newhouse's newspaper shares at $1.32 billion and sought a $305 million fraud penalty, and the Tax Court sided with his sonsSamuel I. Newhouse bought the Staten Island Advance in 1922 and built it into Advance Publications, a private newspaper and magazine company. He died on 29 August 1979.case-law.vlex.com and 2 more

Ferrari 330 America fl: Ferrari 330 America

1977 · Beverly Hills, California, and San Antonio, Texas, USAA Beverly Hills oil widow's will told her brother-in-law to bury her in her Ferrari or lose his inheritance, and a court held her to itSandra Ilene West was a Beverly Hills socialite and the widow of Texas oilman Ike West. She died in California in 1977 at about 38.jalopnik.com and 2 more

AI illustration: An old car parked on a Chicago street, 1970s

1974 · Chicago, IllinoisA court had ordered Sherman Gordon to support his daughter, but Illinois gave his only asset, a $2,500 car, to his parents and siblingsSherman Gordon lived in Chicago with Jessie Trimble and their daughter, Deta Mona, from 1970. On 2 January 1973 an Illinois circuit court found him to be Deta Mona's father and ordered him to pay $15 a week in support.Cornell Law School, LII

AI illustration: A will on a desk in an Ohio lawyer's office, 1970s

1973 · Mahoning County (Youngstown), OhioAn Ohio doctor's will gave his son seven years to marry a Jewish woman or lose his share to the State of Israel, and the court upheld itDr David Shapira died on 13 April 1973, a resident of Mahoning County, Ohio.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 3 more

Farnsworth image dissector tube: One of the first experimental video camera tubes, called an image dissector, designed by American engineer Philo T. Farnsworth in 1930.

1971 · Holladay, near Salt Lake City, Utah, USARCA fought Philo Farnsworth for the television patent, lost, paid him royalties, and he died in debt while television made others richPhilo Farnsworth filed the first of more than 300 patents on 7 January 1927. On 7 September 1927 his image dissector sent a picture of a line to a receiver in the next room.census.gov and 4 more

Map of North Carolina, marked on the globe

1970 · near Beaufort, Carteret County, North Carolina, USATwo brothers spent eight years in jail for refusing to leave their grandfather's heirs' property on Silver Dollar RoadIn 1911 the brothers' great-grandfather bought 65 acres on the water in Carteret County. The family shrimped, crabbed and fished there.abc11.com and 3 more

AI illustration: A farmhouse in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, late 1960s

1968 · Rapides Parish, LouisianaEzra Vincent signed a paper acknowledging his daughter, and in 1971 the Supreme Court let his brothers and sisters take his whole estateEnglish common law called a child born outside marriage filius nullius, the child of no one, with no right to inherit from either parent.Cornell Law School, LII and 3 more

Lobkowicz family: Lobkowitz-fuerstliches-Wappen

1967 · Dover, MassachusettsThe Lobkowicz family lost its castles to the Nazis in 1939 and the Communists in 1948, and a grandson spent 12 years recovering the Prague palaceMax Lobkowicz, born at Bílina in 1888, headed the Roudnice line of the family. He left for London before the German occupation of 15 March 1939 and from June 1942 was ambassador of the Czechoslovak government in exile to Britain.zakonyprolidi.cz and 9 more

Sarah Rector Birth Record: Birth Record (affidavit) of en:Sarah Rector.

1967 · Taft, Oklahoma, USAOil on an 11-year-old Creek Freedwoman's allotment brought her $300 a day, a white guardian took charge, and W. E. B. Du Bois wrote to her judge about reports she was being cheatedSarah Rector was born on 3 March 1902 near Taft, in Indian Territory, to a family of Creek Freedmen. As a Freedman child she received an allotment of about 160 acres her father thought nearly worthless.kgou.org and 2 more

AI illustration: An office tower on the flat prairie outside Wichita, Kansas, 1980s

1967 · Wichita, Kansas, USABill Koch sold his stake for $1.1 billion, sued his brothers for more, lost, and settled after 20 yearsFred C. Koch founded the oil company that became Koch Industries in Wichita. He died in 1967 and left it to his sons, with advice to stand up for each other. His son Charles ran the company from 1967.case-law.vlex.com and 2 more

AI illustration: A bank transfer order on a field desk inside the Malinta Tunnel, Corregidor, 1942

1964 · Washington, D.C.Philippine Executive Order No. 1 paid MacArthur $500,000 in 1942, and the payment stayed secret until 1979On 3 January 1942, on Corregidor, Philippine President Manuel Quezon signed Executive Order No. 1. It granted Douglas MacArthur $500,000. It also granted Richard K. Sutherland $75,000, Richard J. Marshall Jr. $45,000 and Sidney L.vtechworks.lib.vt.edu and 6 more

Statue of a Victorious Youth, front - Getty Museum (77.AB.30): Ancient Greek bronze sculpture in the Getty Villa

1964 · Adriatic Sea off Pedaso and Fano, Italy; Malibu, California,Italian fishermen netted a Greek bronze in 1964, Italy's courts acquitted the sellers, and decades later ordered it confiscated from the GettyIn 1964 Italian fishermen pulled a Greek bronze of a victorious young athlete from the Adriatic and brought it to Fano. It was sold on.lagen.nu and 3 more

Sarita Kenedy East: Sarita Kenedy East, rancher and philanthropist of South Texas

1961 · Kenedy County, Texas, USA (died in New York City)Ranch heiress Sarita Kenedy East left her fortune to a foundation controlled by a Trappist monk, and more than 200 people claimed to be her heirsSarita Kenedy East, granddaughter of the rancher Mifflin Kenedy, was heir to part of the Kenedy Ranch and had no children.Internet Archive and 2 more

AI illustration: Blank adoption papers and a fountain pen on an empty court clerk's desk in Louisville, Kentucky, 1959, no people

1959 · Louisville, KentuckyA Kentucky man adopted his own wife so she could inherit from his mother's trust, and the court refusedAmelia S. Minary signed her will on 4 April 1932 and died that year. It created a trust paying income to her husband Thomas and their three sons, James, Thomas Helm and Alfred.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 1 more

Map of New York, marked on the globe

1959 · New York City, New York, USARobert Kaufmann left his fortune to the man he lived with, and two New York juries gave it to his brothersRobert D. Kaufmann inherited minority interests in his family's businesses in Washington. In 1947 he took up painting and moved to New York. In 1948 he met Walter A. Weiss, five years older, who became his paid "financial advisor".Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 2 more

Albert Einstein: Albert Einstein Head cleaned

1955 · Princeton, New Jersey, USAEinstein gave his Nobel money to his first wife and asked to be cremated in secret, and the pathologist kept his brain for decadesOn 12 June 1918 Albert Einstein signed an agreement with his first wife, Mileva Marić.nationalgeographic.com and 3 more

David Sarnoff: DavidSarnoff 1922

1954 · New York City, New York, USAEdwin Armstrong jumped from his apartment after years of suing RCA over FM radio, and his widow, once Sarnoff's secretary, won the casesEdwin Armstrong invented the regenerative circuit, the superheterodyne receiver and wide-band FM radio, which he presented in 1933. Westinghouse bought his feedback and superheterodyne patents for $350,000.lemelson.mit.edu and 3 more

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg NYWTS: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, separated by heavy wire screen as they leave U.S. Court House after being found guilty by jury.

1953 · Sing Sing prison, Ossining, New York, USAThe Rosenbergs were executed in 1953, child-care agencies petitioned for custody of their sons and the boys' trust fund, and the sons have spent 70 years on their mother's caseJulius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage for the Soviet Union and electrocuted at Sing Sing in June 1953. Their sons, Michael and Robert, were 10 and 6.archives.gov and 5 more

Map of New York, marked on the globe

1953 · Hotel Statler, New York City, USAThe CIA gave Army scientist Frank Olson LSD without telling him, he fell from a New York hotel nine days later, and the $750,000 his family accepted later blocked their murder suitFrank Olson was a bioweapons scientist at Fort Detrick, Maryland. At a cabin at Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland, CIA officers served him a liqueur spiked with LSD without his knowledge.ABA Journal and 2 more

Baghdad Synagogue: Meir Tweig Synagogue or Meir Taweig or Meir Tweg Synagogue in Baghdad, Iraq

1951 · Baghdad, Iraq; Washington, D.C., USAIraq took the property of the Jews who left in 1951, US troops found their community's books in a flooded secret-police basement in 2003, and the books have stayed in AmericaOn 9 March 1950 Iraq's parliament passed a law letting Jews leave if they gave up their citizenship and their right to return. About 125,000 of some 135,000 Iraqi Jews were airlifted to Israel in 1950 and 1951.jns.org and 3 more

John Stith Pemberton: John Pemberton

1888 · Atlanta, Georgia, USAJohn Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, sold it off in pieces while addicted to morphine, and died poor in 1888, leaving his widow a pauperJohn Pemberton was a pharmacist and a Confederate lieutenant colonel. In April 1865 he was cut across the chest by a sabre at the defence of Columbus, Georgia. He became addicted to the morphine he took for the pain.historynet.com and 2 more

Minik Wallace: Minik in New York

1898 · New York; Pittsburg, New HampshirePeary brought six Inuit to New York in 1897, and the museum faked a funeral and kept Minik's father's skeleton until 1993In September 1897 Robert Peary brought six Inughuit from northwest Greenland to New York. The American Museum of Natural History studied them, and visitors paid to see them. Peary had promised they could go home within a year.nunatsiaq.com and 3 more

Ilia Chavchavadze: Ilia Tchavtchavadze

1907 · Road from Tbilisi to Saguramo, near Mtskheta, GeorgiaIlia Chavchavadze was shot dead on the road to his Saguramo estate in 1907, and the Georgian church made him a saint in 1987Chavchavadze, a Georgian poet and public figure, was killed on the road from Tbilisi to his estate at Saguramo. Wikipedia and OrthodoxWiki date the killing to 28 August 1907; the Orthodox Church in America says 30 August.oca.org and 3 more

Armsmear (Hartford, CT): Photograph of 'Armsmear' (Samuel Colt's House) — in Hartford, Connecticut. This is an oblique view of the front facade. 1967 photo from the HABS—Historic A

1862 · Hartford, Connecticut, USASamuel Colt left $15 million, and the "nephew" in his will was the son of his brother, who died in his cell on his execution daySamuel Colt's revolver factory in Hartford made him one of the richest men in America. In 1841 his brother John C. Colt killed the printer Samuel Adams. John was convicted and sentenced to hang on 18 November 1842.American Heritage and 3 more

Antonio Meucci: Antonio Meucci

1889 · Staten Island, New York, USAAntonio Meucci could not pay $10 to renew his telephone caveat, Bell got the patent, and Meucci died before the courts ruledAntonio Meucci, an Italian immigrant, built a voice device he called the teletrofono, first in Havana and then in New York. In his Staten Island house he wired rooms together, including a line to his wife's bedroom.govinfo.gov and 2 more

Map of New York, marked on the globe

1931 · 442 Fifth Avenue, New York City, USAJohn Wendel kept his sisters from marrying to hold the family's Manhattan land together, and more than 2,000 people claimed the last sister's estateJohn Gottlieb Wendel made a fortune in fur and Manhattan land and was an associate and in-law of John Jacob Astor. His son John D. Wendel built a brick house at Fifth Avenue and 39th Street in 1856.Time and 2 more

Map of Hawaii, marked on the globe

1905 · Kawaihae, Hawaii, USAThe Bishop Museum lent 83 burial objects to a Hawaiian group for one year, the group sealed them in a cave, and a federal judge jailed its leader until they came outIn 1905 David Forbes, a district judge, took 83 objects from a lava burial cave in Honokoa Gulch, Kawaihae, on Hawaiʻi Island. The Bishop Museum acquired them in 1907.archive.archaeology.org and 4 more

Charles Bedaux: Charles Bedaux and filmakers

1944 · Château de Candé, Monts, Indre-et-Loire, France; Miami, FlorCharles Bedaux hosted the Windsor wedding at Candé, died in FBI custody awaiting treason charges, and his widow gave the château to FranceCharles Bedaux made a fortune selling the Bedaux system of work measurement. On 23 July 1927 he and his wife Fern bought the Château de Candé in the Loire valley.domainecande.fr and 2 more

Tereoboo, King of Owyhee, bringing presents to Captain Cook by John Webber: Kalaniopuu, King of Hawaii, bringing presents to Captain Cook. Shows a Hawaiian canoe with "crab-claw" a

1782 · Hōnaunau, Kona, Hawaii, USAKalaniʻōpuʻu left Hawaiʻi Island to his son and the war god to his nephew Kamehameha, and the chiefs who got no land started the war that made Kamehameha kingAbraham Fornander, writing in 1880 from Hawaiian accounts, records that Kalaniʻōpuʻu, ruling chief of Hawaiʻi Island, called a council in Waipiʻo before he died.Internet Archive and 2 more

Johns Hopkins: Hopkinsp

1873 · Baltimore, Maryland, USAJohns Hopkins left $7 million in railroad stock to found a hospital, the stock stopped paying, and records found in 2020 showed he had owned slavesJohns Hopkins died in 1873, aged 78. His will left about $7 million to found a university, a hospital and an orphanage for Black children, then the largest philanthropic bequest in US history.Smithsonian Magazine and 2 more

Cyrus Teed: Cyrus Teed

1908 · Estero, Lee County, Florida, USACyrus Teed's followers watched his body waiting for him to rise, until the county health officer ordered him buried; a hurricane later took the tombCyrus Teed, who called himself Koresh, moved his followers from Chicago to Estero, Florida, in 1894.wrldrels.org and 2 more

Palais Wittgenstein 01: Palais Wittgenstein Musiksalon

1939 · Vienna, Austria; Switzerland; New York, USAThe Wittgenstein siblings gave the Reichsbank their Swiss-held fortune in 1939 for "half-Jewish" status, and Vienna paid Paul's heirs €7,400 in 2008After the Anschluss in 1938, the children of Karl Wittgenstein were classed as Jews under the Nuremberg Laws because of their ancestry, though three of their grandparents had converted to Christianity.entschaedigungsfonds.org and 3 more

Wright brothers first successful flight Kill Devil Hills North Carolina December 1903: Photograph of the first successful flight of the Wright brothers, December 17, 1903. Orville

1948 · Dayton, Ohio, USAThe Smithsonian got the Wright Flyer for $1 on a contract that returns it to the Wright heirs if the museum says anyone flew firstIn 1914 the Smithsonian lent the wreck of Samuel Langley's failed 1903 Aerodrome to Glenn Curtiss, who rebuilt it and made short hops. The Smithsonian then displayed it with a label calling it "capable" of manned flight.US National Park Service and 4 more

The Hershey Company: Hershey Factory

1945 · Hershey, PennsylvaniaThe Hershey school trust voted to sell Hershey Foods to Wrigley for $12.5 billion in 2002, and a Pennsylvania court stopped itIn 1909 Milton and Catherine Hershey deeded 486 acres for a school for orphan boys. In 1918 Milton put most of his fortune, including his company stock, into its trust, about $60 million then.Internet Archive and 3 more

1583 portrait of Sir Francis Drake

1943 · Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, Springfield, MissouriOscar Hartzell sold shares in a $22 billion Sir Francis Drake estate that did not exist, and about 70,000 Midwesterners paidSir Francis Drake died in 1596. In 1915 two promoters, Sudie Whiteaker and Milo Lewis, told Iowans named Drake that his estate had never been settled and had grown for 300 years. Oscar Hartzell's mother put in about $6,000.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 4 more

Arno Nadel Fritz Grünbaum: Arno Nadel Fritz Grünbaum

1941 · Dachau, Germany; Vienna, Austria; New York, USAFritz Grünbaum died at Dachau owning about 70 Schieles; his heirs won them back in New York, then one heir sued Christie's over the restFritz Grünbaum, a Vienna cabaret star, owned several hundred artworks, including about 70 by Egon Schiele. In 1938 he and his wife Lilly tried to flee and were caught.paw.princeton.edu and 2 more

UBS Headquarters, Zurich (Ank Kumar, Infosys Limited) 01: UBS Headquarters, Zurich (Ank Kumar, Infosys Limited)

1939 · Zurich, Switzerland; Brooklyn, New York, USASwitzerland made bank secrecy a crime in 1934, and the night guard who took bank files from a UBS shredder in 1997 had to seek asylum in the United StatesSwiss banks long said the 1934 bank secrecy law was written to protect money deposited by Jews persecuted by the Nazis. Historian Sébastien Guex of the University of Lausanne calls that account propaganda.daily.jstor.org and 3 more

Anthony Comstock: Anthony Comstock

1938 · New York, New York, USA; Harbor Hill, Roslyn, New YorkComstock heir Clarence Mackay cut his daughter out of his will for marrying Irving Berlin, and after her baby died he took her backIn 1873 John Mackay and his partners Fair, Flood and O'Brien opened the Consolidated Virginia mine in Virginia City, Nevada. It produced $61 million.nnbw.com and 2 more

Jackson Barnett and wife: Jackson Barnett, the world's richest Indian, with wife at White House.

1934 · Los Angeles, California, USA (allotment in Creek County, OklA woman married "the world's richest Indian", the Interior Secretary gave away $1.1 million of his oil money, and the courts took it backJackson Barnett was a Muscogee Creek man who received a 160-acre allotment in Creek County in 1903. Oil was found on it in 1912. On 17 February 1916 the Gypsy Oil Company brought in his No.Cornell Law School, LII and 2 more

AI illustration: Bundles of cash and bonds in a shoebox in a room of the Herald Square Hotel, New York, 1932

1932 · Herald Square Hotel, New YorkA recluse died in a New York hotel with a fortune in cash, 1,103 people claimed it, and the 10 real heirs had never met herEllen Walsh was born in Oldham, England, in 1838 to an Irish peddler. In 1857, aged 19, she moved to New York and called herself Ida Mayfield, daughter of a Louisiana sugar planter named Henry Mayfield. The planter did not exist.Smithsonian Magazine and 2 more

AI illustration: Claimants to the Garrett estate queue to file at Philadelphia City Hall, 1930s

1930 · Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaA Philadelphia widow left $17 million and no will, and 26,000 people claimed to be her heirsHenrietta E. Garrett, born Schaeffer, died intestate as to a residuary estate of over $17,000,000. Nearly 26,000 claims were filed in the Orphans' Court of Philadelphia County by people saying they were her next of kin.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 2 more

Laurel Hill Cemetery Advertisement (1904): Laurel Hill Cemetery Advertisement (1904) From "Philadelphia: The Birthplace of the Nation, The Pivot of Industry, The City of Homes" by

1930 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USAHenrietta Garrett died in 1930 with $17 million and no will; more than 25,000 people claimed to be her kin, ten went to jail, and three cousins she never met inheritedHenrietta Garrett was a childless widow who lived almost as a hermit in Philadelphia. She died on 16 November 1930 with no will and a residuary estate of about $17 million.legalgenealogist.com and 2 more

Ernest Burkhart and his wife Mollie Kyle: Ernest Burkhart and his wife Mollie née Kyle.

1921 · Fairfax, Osage County, Oklahoma, USAOil made each Osage headright worth a fortune, at least 24 Osage were killed in the early 1920s, and Congress stopped non-Osage from inheriting headrights in 1925Under the Osage Allotment Act of 1906 the tribe owned the minerals under its land in common. Each allottee held an equal share of the oil royalties, called a headright, and a headright passed to the holder's heirs.osagenation-nsn.gov and 2 more

Map of North Carolina, marked on the globe

1921 · Mocksville, Davie County, North Carolina, USAPink Chaffin said his dead father led him to a second will hidden in Genesis 27, and a North Carolina court admitted it in 1925Kind 1. James L. Chaffin farmed near Mocksville and had four sons. A will dated 1905 left his estate, including 102 acres, to one son, Marshall. Chaffin died after a fall in 1921 and the 1905 will was probated.mentalfloss.com and 2 more

Liliʻuokalani: Liliuokalani, c. 1891

1917 · Honolulu, Territory of HawaiiQueen Liliʻuokalani sued the United States for Hawaii's crown lands and lostLiliʻuokalani became Queen of Hawaii in 1891. On 17 January 1893 a group of American and European businessmen, backed by US Marines, overthrew her. She was arrested after a failed royalist uprising in 1895 and signed an abdication.Wikipedia (English) and 2 more

Ishi: Ishi portrait

1916 · San Francisco, California, USAIshi asked to be cremated by Yahi custom, and the university sent his brain to the Smithsonian, which returned it 84 years laterIshi was born about 1860, a Yahi, a branch of the Yana people of northern California. On 29 August 1911, starving, he walked out of hiding near Oroville and was held in the local jail.hearstmuseum.berkeley.edu and 2 more

Talaat Pasha: Mehmed talat

1915 · Ottoman Empire (Turkey); Los Angeles, California, USATalaat asked the US ambassador for the list of Armenians insured by American companies, and 89 years later New York Life paid $20 million to their heirsBefore 1915 New York Life sold life policies to Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.Project Gutenberg and 3 more

A colorful corner of Baconsfield Park, Macon, Ga. (8367054949): File name: 06_10_014111 Title: A colorful corner of Baconsfield Park, Macon, Ga. Date issued: 1930 - 1945 (approxima

1914 · Macon, Georgia, USASenator Bacon left Macon a park for white people only; when the courts opened it to all, it went back to his heirs and became a strip mallAugustus O. Bacon, a Confederate veteran and Georgia senator, signed his will in 1911. He gave 75 acres to the City of Macon as trustee for a park for "the white women and children of the city of Macon".Cornell Law School, LII and 2 more

Contract of the Hukuang Railway Bond: Contract of the Imperial Chinese Government 5% Hukuang Railways Sinking Fund Gold Loan of 1911

1911 · Northern District of Alabama, USANine Americans won $41.3 million from China on 1911 imperial railway bonds, and the judgment was set aside after Beijing protestedIn May 1911 the Qing government issued 5 percent Hukuang Railways bearer bonds for a £6 million loan to build railways in central south China. The dynasty fell at the end of that year.case-law.vlex.com and 3 more

Geronimo: Geronimo (Goyathlay), a Chiricahua Apache; full-length, kneeling with rifle

1909 · Fort Sill, Oklahoma, USA; the Tomb, 64 High Street, New HaveGeronimo's descendants sued Skull and Bones in 2009 for the skull a member's 1918 letter says was taken from his grave, and a federal judge dismissed the caseGeronimo, a Chiricahua Apache leader, surrendered in 1886 and died a prisoner of war at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in February 1909. He was buried in the Apache cemetery there.historynewsnetwork.org and 5 more

RappHouseOldEconomyPA: The Rapp house in Old Economy Village, Pennsylvania.

1905 · Economy (Ambridge), Beaver County, Pennsylvania, USAThe celibate Harmony Society dwindled to eight members, the US Supreme Court refused the heirs a share in 1902, and the last trustees split the fortune with PennsylvaniaJohann Georg Rapp founded the Harmony Society in Pennsylvania on 15 February 1805, with all property held in common. In 1807 the members adopted celibacy.Cornell Law School, LII and 2 more

Richard Mentor Johnson

1850 · Frankfort, KentuckyVice President Richard Mentor Johnson's daughter was ruled illegitimate, and a Kentucky court gave his estate to his brothersRichard Mentor Johnson inherited Julia Chinn, an enslaved mixed-race woman, when his father died in 1815.Library of Congress and 4 more

Badri Patarkatsishvili: Badri Patarkatsishvili IMEDI

2008 · Downside Manor, Leatherhead, Surrey, UK; Tbilisi, GeorgiaBadri Patarkatsishvili died in Surrey worth over $1 billion, a relative produced a copy of a will naming himself executor, and the widow called it a forgery in courts in five jurisdictionsBadri Patarkatsishvili founded Imedi TV in 2003. Riot police raided it in November 2007, and control passed to allies of President Mikheil Saakashvili. Living in exile, he came third in the January 2008 presidential election.kommersant.ru and 11 more

Charles Goodyear: Southworth and Hawes - Charles Goodyear (Zeno Fotografie) crop

1860 · New York City, New York, USACharles Goodyear patented vulcanized rubber, spent the profits in court, and died $200,000 in debt on the way to his dying daughterCharles Goodyear spent years trying to make rubber that would not melt or crack. He funded the work by going into debt, and his family lost everything in the panic of 1837.lemelson.mit.edu and 2 more

John Sutter: John A. Sutter Oval Crop Edit Desat

1880 · Washington, D.C., USA; Sacramento, California, USAGold was found on John Sutter's land in 1848, his son built Sacramento on it against his wishes, and he died in a Washington hotel waiting for Congress to pay himIn May 1834 Johann August Sutter left his wife and five children in Burgdorf, Switzerland, to avoid trial over debts, and sailed for New York. In California he became a Mexican citizen in 1840.Wikisource (primary text) and 2 more

GENERAL VIEW, ca. 1874 (Photocopy made in 1966 from original view in Hawaii State Archives) - Lunalilo's Tomb, Punchbowl: GENERAL VIEW, ca. 1874 (Photocopy made in 1966 from origin

1874 · Honolulu, Hawaii, USATwo Hawaiian kings died without naming heirs, the 1874 election ended in a riot that killed a legislator, and King Lunalilo left his lands to a home for poor HawaiiansKamehameha V died on 11 December 1872 without naming a successor.blog.bishopmuseum.org and 3 more

Dutchmans Trail, Palamino Mountain (left), Weavers Needle (right) (3285875350): Superstition Wilderness.

1891 · Superstition Mountains, near Apache Junction, Arizona, USAJacob Waltz died in 1891 and his carer sold maps to his supposed gold mine; searchers have died looking for it sinceThe Lost Dutchman's Mine is an unproven tale. Jacob Waltz, a German immigrant, died in Phoenix on 25 October 1891.azstateparks.com and 2 more

Horace Tabor: Horace Austin Warner Tabor - Brady-Handy

1899 · Denver, ColoradoHorace Tabor left his wife for Baby Doe, lost his silver fortune in 1893, and Baby Doe was found frozen at his last mineHorace Tabor was a Colorado storekeeper who struck silver at Leadville. By 1879 he was worth "six million or more dollars", and that September he bought the Matchless Mine.Wikipedia (English) and 2 more

George Pullman tomb by Gerald Farinas: Tomb of George Pullman at Graceland Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois.

1897 · Chicago, Illinois, USAGeorge Pullman's will cut his twin sons to $3,000 a year for lacking "a sense of responsibility," and his family buried him under steel rails and concreteGeorge Pullman built a company town for his sleeping-car works south of Chicago. In the 1894 depression he laid off about a third of his workers and cut the rest's wages by an average of 30 percent while keeping rents the same.archive.archaeology.org and 3 more

Giles Corey: Old drawing of the death of Giles Corey (September 19, 1692) by being pressed with heavy stones after conviction as a witch during the Salem Witch Trials.

1692 · Salem, Massachusetts, USASalem pressed Giles Corey to death under stones for refusing a jury trial, and his land went to his sons-in-law under a will he had already signedGiles Corey was a farmer in Salem Village, now Danvers. In 1676 he had been fined for beating a servant to death. In 1692 his wife Martha was accused of witchcraft.salem.lib.virginia.edu and 3 more

Hetty Green cph: Hetty Green, half-length portrait, seated

1865 · Massachusetts, USAHetty Robinson produced a will page giving her all of her aunt's $2 million, and a Harvard mathematician testified the signature was tracedHetty Robinson was the niece and sole heir-at-law of Sylvia Ann Howland. Howland died on 2 July 1865 with an estate of about $2 million.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 3 more

John Woodhouse Audubon: John Woodhouse Audubon

1851 · New York CityAudubon's widow sold the Birds of America copper plates in 1870 and buyers melted most of them for scrapJohn James Audubon had 435 copper plates engraved, mostly by Robert Havell Jr. of London from 1827 to 1838, to print The Birds of America. Each plate was about two by three feet and weighed up to 37 pounds.yalealumnimagazine.com and 3 more

Stephen Van Rensselaer: Stephen Van Rensselaer III

1839 · Albany, New YorkStephen Van Rensselaer III's will ordered $400,000 in back rents collected, and his tenants answered with the Anti-Rent WarAt its peak the Van Rensselaer manor covered about 700,000 acres, and 60,000 to 100,000 people on it paid feudal rents. Stephen Van Rensselaer III died on 26 January 1839 owing about $400,000.American Heritage and 4 more

Stephen Girard: Stephen Girard by JR Lambdin

1831 · PhiladelphiaStephen Girard left $7.5 million for "poor white male orphans", and courts fought over the word "white" until 1968Stephen Girard, a French-born merchant, opened Girard's Bank in 1812 and underwrote up to 95 percent of a federal war loan. He died in 1831 with an estate of about $7.5 million.Cornell Law School, LII and 3 more

Edwin Drake: Edwindrake

1880 · Titusville and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USAEdwin Drake drilled the first US oil well in 1859, lost his savings by 1866, and lived on a Pennsylvania state pensionEdwin Drake was born in New York on 29 March 1819. He worked as a railroad conductor until 1857, when poor health made him retire.npgallery.nps.gov and 2 more

Joseph Emory Davis: Joseph Emory Davis

1870 · Davis Bend (now Davis Island), Warren County, Mississippi, UJoseph Davis sold his plantations to the man he had enslaved, and his brother Jefferson Davis sued the family for Brierfield and wonBenjamin Montgomery was sold in 1836 to Joseph Davis, a lawyer and cotton planter at Davis Bend who reportedly enslaved more than 200 people. Montgomery kept the books, ran the plantation store and managed the property.mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov and 3 more

Silver ingots - HistoryMiami - IMG 8113: Silver ingots salvaged from the wreck of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha, sunk by storm in the Marquesas in 1622; silver primarily from (prese

1622 · about 40 nautical miles west of Key West, Florida, USAMel Fisher lost his son and daughter-in-law hunting the Atocha, found its main treasure ten years to the day later, and beat Florida in the Supreme CourtThe Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha sank in a hurricane in 1622 about 40 nautical miles west of Key West. Mel Fisher's company, Treasure Salvors, searched for her for years.Cornell Law School, LII and 3 more

Alexander Turney Stewart: Alexander Turney Stewart

1876 · New York City, New York, USAThieves stole A. T. Stewart's body from his New York vault, and his widow paid $20,000 for a satchel of bonesAlexander Turney Stewart opened his first dry goods store on lower Broadway in 1823 and became the largest retailer in the world. He died at his Fifth Avenue marble mansion on 10 April 1876, worth up to $50 million.cambridge.org and 2 more

Uriah P. Levy: Uriah Phillips Levy

1862 · New York City; Monticello, Albemarle County, VirginiaUriah Levy willed Monticello to the United States, the Confederacy auctioned it, and New York's highest court voided the giftThomas Jefferson died in debt in 1826. His executor sold Monticello in 1831 to James Turner Barclay, a Charlottesville druggist, for about $7,500.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 7 more

Greenway Court, Virginia, where the story took place

1781 · Greenway Court, VirginiaVirginia confiscated Lord Fairfax's Northern Neck, and his heir's land claim reached the Supreme Court twiceThomas, 6th Lord Fairfax, held the Northern Neck Proprietary of Virginia, about 5,282,000 acres. Virginia's Act of 1779 confiscated title to the domain. Fairfax died in December 1781, two months after Yorktown.Cornell Law School, LII and 5 more

Sailors' Snug Harbor, Staten Island, New York, Valentine's Manual: Wood engraving of the Sailors' Snug Harbor on Staten Island, New York City

1801 · Greenwich Village, Manhattan, and Staten Island, New York CiA sea captain's son willed his Manhattan farm to retired sailors, a Loyalist's son sued as heir to the Supreme Court, and the ground rents housed 1,000 sailorsCaptain Thomas Randall made a fortune seizing prizes at sea; some historians call him a privateer. His son Robert Richard Randall held a farm of about 21 acres in what is now Greenwich Village.Cornell Law School, LII and 3 more

James Addison Reavis in prison clothes: James Addison Reavis with imprisoned at Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory

1874 · Phoenix, Arizona, USAJames Addison Reavis forged a Spanish barony covering 12 million acres of Arizona, presented a ranch girl as its heiress, and went to prisonGeorge M. Willing, a prospector, said he had bought a Spanish land grant from a man named Miguel Peralta. In 1874 Willing was found dead the morning after he went to Prescott to file it.arizonahighways.com and 2 more

Governor Pio Pico at age 90: Governor Pio Pico at age 90.

1894 · Whittier and Los Angeles, California, USACalifornia's last Mexican governor signed what he said was a mortgage, the courts called it a sale, and he lost his last ranch at 90Pío Pico was the last governor of Mexican Alta California and held ranchos across Southern California.homesteadmuseum.blog and 2 more

James Graham Fair - Brady-Handy: James Graham Fair. Library of Congress description: "Fair, Hon. Jas. G. of Nevada, Senator"

1894 · San Francisco, California, USASenator James Fair locked his fortune in a trust, a school principal produced a pencil will and a marriage contract, and his children turned on herJames G. Fair was a former US senator from Nevada and an owner of the Comstock Lode. His wife Theresa divorced him in 1883 for habitual adultery. He died in San Francisco on 28 December 1894 with a fortune put at $45 million.cslfdn.org and 2 more

Map of Nebraska, marked on the globe

1892 · Brownville, Nemaha County, Nebraska, USAA widow left her inherited fortune to a Lincoln charity home; her family said a planchette and her dead husband's spirit guided her, and Nebraska upheld the will in 1895Kind 1. Elizabeth C. Handley of Brownville inherited her husband's estate, valued at $36,000 to $37,000, when he died about ten years before her will.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 2 more

Amanda America Dickson: Amanda America Dickson 001

1885 · Hancock County, GeorgiaA Georgia planter left his estate to his daughter by an enslaved girl, and his white relatives lost their challenge in 1887David Dickson was one of the eight richest planters in Hancock County. When he was 40 he raped Julia Frances Lewis, a 12-year-old girl he enslaved. Their daughter, Amanda America Dickson, was born on 20 November 1849.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 3 more

Ulysses S. Grant: Gen. U.S. Grant writing his memoirs, Mount McGregor, June 27th, 1885 LCCN96522250

1885 · Mount McGregor, New YorkGrant lost his savings in the Grant & Ward fraud and wrote memoirs that paid his widow about $450,000In 1880 Wall Street backers raised a $250,000 trust fund for Ulysses S. Grant. Grant invested in Grant & Ward, his son's brokerage, which was run by Ferdinand Ward. Ward was running a Ponzi scheme.US National Park Service and 5 more

Court of Appeals (NYPL b11708223-G91F099 037ZB): * Includes views by R. E. Churchill, Aaron Veeder, Jeffers & McDonnald and other photographers and publishers. Robert Dennis Co

1882 · rural northern New York, USA; New York Court of AppealsA 16-year-old poisoned his grandfather to stop him changing his will, and New York's highest court took the farm from him in 1889On 13 August 1880 Francis B. Palmer, a widowed farmer, signed his will. He left small legacies to his daughters, Mrs Riggs and Mrs Preston. The rest of his farm and personal property went to his grandson, Elmer E.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 2 more

Captain jack 1873: Captain Jack (Kintpuash), a Modoc subchief, executed October 3, 1873; bust-length, full-face. Photographed by Louis Heller, 1873. American Indian Select List num

1873 · Fort Klamath, Oregon, USAThe Army hanged Captain Jack, shipped his head to Washington in a barrel marked "specimens of natural history," and exiled his people to OklahomaKintpuash, called Captain Jack, led a Modoc band that left the Klamath Reservation, set up under an 1864 treaty, and returned to their Lost River homeland.ou.edu and 3 more

William T. G. Morton: WTG Morton

1868 · New York City, USAWilliam Morton patented ether anaesthesia, never collected a royalty, and died in debt while his rivals died by suicide and in an asylumOn 16 October 1846 the Boston dentist William Morton anaesthetised a patient with ether at Massachusetts General Hospital.collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk and 2 more

Eilley Bowers: Eilley Bowers 2

1868 · Gold Hill and Washoe Valley, Nevada, USAEilley Bowers took mining claims for unpaid board, became one of the first Comstock millionaires, and lost her mansion at auctionAlison Oram was born in Forfar, Scotland, on 6 September 1826. She married at about 15, divorced in Utah, married again and divorced again, keeping land in Washoe Valley. She ran boarding houses at Johntown and Gold Hill.lasvegasnvmuseum.org and 2 more

Arlington House, east front, June 28, 1864 LCCN2004680140

1857 · Arlington, VirginiaThe Lee family lost Arlington over a $92.07 tax, the Army buried soldiers on it, and the Supreme Court awarded $150,000George Washington Parke Custis, Martha Washington's grandson, died in 1857. His 1855 will left Arlington to his daughter Mary Custis Lee for life, then to her son G.W. Custis Lee.Cornell Law School, LII and 5 more

The 'Central America' engulphed by the ocean - 1857: The 'Central America' engulphed by the ocean - 1857 "About eight o'clock the ship began to settle badly, when she momentarily r

1857 · Atlantic Ocean, about 160 miles off South Carolina, USA; ColInsurers paid for the SS Central America's gold in 1857 and claimed it again when it was found in 1988; the finder spent ten years jailed over 500 missing coinsOn 12 September 1857 the steamship Central America sank in a hurricane with $1,219,189 in California gold, 1857 value. About 425 people died and 153 were rescued. Her loss contributed to the Panic of 1857.law.resource.org and 2 more

John McDonogh: Johnmcdonogh

1850 · McDonoghville, Louisiana, USAJohn McDonogh left two cities a fortune for free schools, his heirs said Louisiana law voided the gift, and New Orleans pulled down his statue in 2020John McDonogh, born in Baltimore in 1779, built a fortune in New Orleans land and by his death owned over 600,000 acres in thirteen parishes. The people he enslaved rose from 16 in 1820 to 192 in 1840.law.resource.org and 2 more

monnaie : Monaco, Louis II, 500 francs, 1934: Sujet : Numismatique médiévale Monaco Ancien possesseur : Beistegui, Charles de (1895-1970). Ancien possesseur Appartient à l’ensemble

1842 · Jackson, Mississippi, USAFamilies who had inherited unpaid Mississippi bonds for 90 years gave them to the Prince of Monaco to sue, and the Supreme Court said a foreign state cannotIn the 1830s Mississippi backed its banks with state bonds. The Planters' Bank bonds were dated 1 March 1833 and paid 6 percent.Cornell Law School, LII and 2 more

Thomas F. Mulledy signature 1838 articles of agreement p7: Signature of Thomas F. Mulledy, the Jesuit provincial superior for the Maryland province, on page 7 of the articles of ag

1838 · Washington, DC, USA; Iberville and Ascension parishes, LouisThe Maryland Jesuits sold 272 people for $115,000 in 1838 to pay Georgetown's debts, and in 2021 the order pledged $100 million to their descendantsThe Jesuits of the Maryland Province owned plantations and the people enslaved on them. The province ran Georgetown College, which was in debt. On 19 June 1838 Thomas F.slaveryarchive.georgetown.edu and 2 more

Rio Arriba CCH: Rio Arriba County Courthouse, Rapp and Rapp, architects, 1916-17

1832 · Tierra Amarilla, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, USAHeirs of a Mexican land grant raided the Tierra Amarilla courthouse in 1967 to arrest the district attorneyIn 1832 the Mexican government created the Tierra Amarilla grant, about 600,000 acres, for Manuel Martínez and settlers from Abiquiú.Deseret News and 3 more

Boki and Liliha, printed by C. Hullmandel; drawn on stone from the original painting by John Hayter, London, 1824: Na Poki, Prime Minister of the Sandwich Islands (actually Governo

1830 · Honolulu, Oʻahu, Hawaii, USA; Erromango, VanuatuHawaiʻi's young king inherited the chiefs' sandalwood debt, and the governor who sailed to cut more sandalwood never came backKamehameha I held a monopoly on Hawaiʻi's sandalwood trade. After he died in 1819, his son Liholiho let the chiefs take a larger share. The chiefs bought goods from American traders on credit, promising payment in sandalwood.manoa.hawaii.edu and 3 more

Map of New York, marked on the globe

1826 · Canandaigua and Batavia, New York, USA; Fort Niagara, New YoMasons took William Morgan from a New York jail in 1826 to stop his exposé, and a stranger's body was buried in his nameWilliam Morgan of Batavia, New York, planned a book revealing the rituals of Freemasonry with publisher David C. Miller. On 11 September 1826 he was in the Canandaigua jail over a small tavern bill.history.nycourts.gov and 3 more

Myra Clark Gaines: Myra Clak Gaines

1813 · New Orleans, Louisiana, USAMyra Clark Gaines sued for 51 years over her father's lost will and the New Orleans land sold from his estate, and her heirs collected after she diedDaniel Clark, a New Orleans merchant, was the first congressman from the Territory of Orleans. He had a daughter, Myra, with Zulime Carrière, who was married to another man when their affair began.hnoc.org and 3 more

Arrest of the Queen of Georgia (Geoffroy, 1845)-1: Arrest of Maria, Queen of Georgia, in 1801 (Geoffroy, 1845)

1800 · Tbilisi, GeorgiaGeorgia's last king asked Russia for protection, Russia abolished his dynasty, and his heirs were suing each other over the royal name in 2019In September 1799 King George XII of Kartli-Kakheti asked Emperor Paul I to take his kingdom under Russian protection. He hoped to keep his royal rank and reign as his ancestors had. George died in 1800.acgs.ug.edu.ge and 5 more

Brewster'sMillions: First edition cover of Brewster's Millions.

Fiction · 1902 · New York City, USA (setting)In Brewster's Millions, a man must spend a $1 million inheritance in a year with nothing to show for it in order to inherit $7 millionBrewster's Millions is a comic novel by George Barr McCutcheon, published in 1902 under the pen name Richard Greaves. Montgomery Brewster's grandfather leaves him one million dollars "without a restriction." His uncle, James T.Project Gutenberg and 2 more

George Washington: George Washington label QS:Les,"George Washington, primer presidente de los E.E. U.U."label QS:Len,"George Washington"

1799 · Mount Vernon, VirginiaWashington's will freed 123 people, his heir sold 54 more, and the family sold Mount Vernon for $200,000In 1799, 317 enslaved people lived at Mount Vernon. George Washington owned 124 of them and leased 40. The other 153 were Custis dower slaves he could not legally free. His July 1799 will freed his valet, William Lee, at once.founders.archives.gov and 3 more

The ahu ula (feathered cloak) of Kalaniopuu: The ahu ula (feathered cloak) that chief Kalaniopuu gave to captain James Cook, on long-term loan from Te Papa Tongarewa (the national

1779 · Kealakekua Bay, Hawaiʻi Island, USA; London, England; WellinHawaiʻi's ruling chief put his feather cloak on Captain Cook in 1779, and it took 237 years and a New Zealand museum to bring it homeIn January 1779 Kalaniʻōpuʻu, ruling chief of Hawaiʻi Island, gave Captain James Cook the ʻahu ʻula (feather cloak) and mahiole (feather helmet) he was wearing at Kealakekua Bay.Smithsonian Magazine and 2 more

Trinity Church (Manhattan): Trinity Church (1788-1839), Broadway at Wall Street, New York

1738 · New York CityDescendants of a 1640s settler sued Trinity Church for downtown Manhattan, and courts ruled the church's 230 years of possession beat their claimIn 1705 Queen Anne granted Trinity Church the King's Farm on the west side of lower Manhattan. Claimants have tried to take it back for 240 years.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 3 more

KingPhilip 1827 BenjaminChurch SamuelDrake04264001: Description according to the metadata delivered with the image by the John Carter Brown Library: Portrait of King Philip or Meta

1676 · Mount Hope (Bristol), Rhode Island, USAPlymouth put Metacom's head on a pole for about 20 years and sold his wife and nine-year-old son into slaveryMassasoit, sachem of the Wampanoag, signed a treaty with Plymouth Colony in 1621 and died in 1661.apps.lib.umich.edu and 3 more

Pocahontas: Matoaks als Rebecka daughter to the mighty Prince Powhâtan Emperour of Attanoughkomouck als virginia converted and bapti

1617 · Gravesend, England (family land on the James River, VirginiaPocahontas's son inherited Virginia land, and Virginia's 1924 race law made an exception that kept families claiming descent from her legally whitePocahontas, called Rebecca in England, fell ill in March 1617 aboard a ship at Gravesend, about to sail home, and died.US National Park Service and 3 more

Hernando de Soto: De Soto by Telfer & Sartain

1542 · Guachoya, on the Mississippi RiverDe Soto's body was sunk in the Mississippi, and his widow governed Cuba and fought his business partner over the estate until 1546 to 1550Hernando de Soto returned from Peru in 1536 with about 18,000 ounces of gold. Charles V made him Adelantado of Florida and Governor of Cuba.revistascientificas.us.es and 3 more

Archimedes Palimpsest: One page of Archimedes Palimpsest, On Floating Bodies

1229 · Constantinople; Jerusalem; Paris, France; New York, USAMonks scraped Archimedes off the page in 1229, a Paris family kept the book in a damp cellar, and a judge let them sell it hours before a church's claim could stop itA scribe in Constantinople copied works of Archimedes onto parchment in the 10th century. In 1229 the book was unbound, scraped and reused for a prayer book. The text underneath includes the only known copy of The Method.archive.archaeology.org and 4 more

Chaco Canyon Pueblo Bonito digital reconstruction: A digital model of ancient Pueblo Bonito (Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, United States) before it was abandoned.

800 · Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, USAPueblo Bonito's richest crypt held one maternal line for 330 years, and scientists sequenced it without asking the Pueblo tribesIn 1896 an American Museum of Natural History expedition dug Room 33 at Pueblo Bonito, a crypt of about two by two metres. On a prepared floor lay a man in his 40s who had died from a blow to the head.par.nsf.gov and 2 more

Anzick Site 12iv15 03a: Information as for above entry, but without the arrow.

10700 BCE · Anzick site, Shields River valley near Wilsall, Montana, USAConstruction workers found the Clovis child on the Anzick family ranch in 1968, the family's geneticist sequenced him, and six tribes reburied him in 2014In 1968 construction workers Ben Hargis and Calvin Sarver uncovered a burial on land owned by the Anzick family near Wilsall, Montana.pure.psu.edu and 2 more

Mound 72 - Cahokia: Photo of Mound 72 at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site taken in May 2024

1050 · Cahokia, near Collinsville, Illinois, USAAt Cahokia a man and woman were buried on 10,000 shell beads, and the same mound held 53 young women who had been strangledMound 72 lies about 850 metres south of Monks Mound at Cahokia. Melvin Fowler began excavating it in 1967 and recorded about 270 bodies buried in episodes over roughly a century, between about 1000 and 1200.news.illinois.edu and 1 more

Spiro Craig Mound HRoe: The Great Mortuary or Craig Mound( also called "The Spiro Mound") is the second-largest mound on the Spiro site and the only burial mound. It is located abo

1250 · Spiro, Le Flore County, Oklahoma, USASix men leased Spiro's burial mound for $300 from the guardian of the heirs, tunnelled in, sold the grave goods worldwide, and tried to blow up the restSpiro was built and used from about AD 850 to 1450.okhistory.org and 2 more

Map of New York, marked on the globe

1142 · Onondaga, New York, USAThe Haudenosaunee Great Law vests the chiefs' titles in the women of each family, who can take back the antlersThe Great Law, in the version Arthur C. Parker published in 1916, tells that the Onondaga chief Adodarhoh was a cannibal and sorcerer whose body was bent in seven places and whose hair was full of living serpents.Internet Archive and 2 more

Ramses I Mummy, caudal view: This work was uploaded within an activity of Egypt Wikimedians User Group. Feel free to drop your question on the workshop discussion page.

1291 BCE · Valley of the Kings, Egypt; Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada; A mummy sold in Luxor around 1860 spent over a century in a Niagara Falls curiosity museum before it was identified as Ramesses I and sent homeRamesses I founded the Nineteenth Dynasty and reigned about two years. His son was Seti I and his grandson Ramesses II.archive.archaeology.org and 4 more

Kennewick Man: Fossil - Took the picture at Natural History Museum, Karlsruhe

7000 BCE · Kennewick, Washington, USAScientists and five tribes fought for 20 years over a skeleton about 9,000 years old, a court gave it to the scientists, and Congress gave it to the tribesIn July 1996 two men found a skeleton on the bank of the Columbia River near Kennewick, Washington. Radiocarbon dating put it at 8,340 to 9,200 years old, with a stone projectile point lodged in the hip.law.resource.org and 2 more

Spirit Cave Mummy: Remains of the Spirit Cave mummy still in the wrapping and cloth it was buried in. Spirit Cave is located in Fallon, Nevada. Discovered in 1940. This image was p

8600 BCE · Spirit Cave, near Fallon, Nevada, USANevada held Spirit Cave Man for decades against his tribe, a judge called it arbitrary, and the tribe agreed to DNA to prove he was theirsIn 1940 Georgia and Sydney Wheeler found a man of about 40 in Spirit Cave, wrapped in a rabbit-skin blanket and reed mats and wearing moccasins. They thought he was 1,500 to 2,000 years old.scientificamerican.com and 2 more

King George III and his daughter, Queen Tamar: King George III and his daughter, Queen Tamar

1213 · Gelati Monastery, near Kutaisi, GeorgiaGeorgia's King George III had no son and crowned his daughter Tamar co-ruler, and the place of her grave is still disputedKing George III of Georgia had no sons and named his daughter Tamar his successor. He crowned her co-ruler in front of the senior nobles and clergy.georgianencyclopedia.ge and 3 more

Map of Virginia, marked on the globe

Legend · 1822 · Bedford County, Virginia, USAAn 1885 pamphlet says a buried treasure in Virginia belongs to 30 men and their heirs, named in a cipher nobody has solvedThe Beale treasure is an unproven tale, and several researchers call it a hoax. It comes from a pamphlet, The Beale Papers, published by James B. Ward in Lynchburg in 1885. The pamphlet says Thomas J.documents.theblackvault.com and 2 more

Liloa and Lonoikamakahiki: The two kāʻai (also written kaai): woven sennit burial caskets said to contain the iwi (bones) of the Hawaiʻi island rulers Līloa (left) and Lonoikamakah

Legend · 1500 · Waipiʻo Valley, Hawaii, USAHawaiian tradition says Līloa left the kingdom to his son Hākau and the gods to his low-born son ʻUmi, and ʻUmi killed Hākau and took the islandThe legends collected by Abraham Fornander say that Līloa, ruling chief of Hawaiʻi Island, kept his court at Waipiʻo. His wife bore him a son, Hākau.Internet Archive and 2 more

Heiliger Rock Trier Wallfahrt 1891 (cropped): Detail of a drawing of the exhibition of the Seamless Robe of Jesus in Trier (Germany) in 1844 and 1891.

Scripture · 30 · Jerusalem; Trier, Germany; Argenteuil, France; Mtskheta, GeoThe Gospel of John says soldiers diced for the executed Jesus's seamless robe, and three churches claim to have itThe Gospel of John says that when Roman soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier.biblegateway.com and 2 more