Paulette Goddard inherited Erich Maria Remarque's money, properties and art in 1970 and left New York University more than $20 million in 1990

Erich Maria Remarque married Paulette Goddard in 1958 and died in 1970. She inherited much of his money, several properties across Europe and his art collection, and lived at his villa at Ronco sopra Ascona. She began giving his papers to New York University in 1977, the year she gave NYU $3 million for arts scholarships for 300 students. In 1986 she transferred the copyrights. She died on 23 April 1990 at 78 after a heart attack. On 17 May 1990 NYU announced she left it more than $20 million, which president John Brademas called extraordinary. It funds scholarships, junior faculty and seven endowed chairs, including a film chair at Tisch and chairs in creative writing, European studies and political economy, and a residence hall named for her. One source says $13 million came anonymously in 1984 and $7 million at her death^†. The Remarque Institute was founded in 1995. Wikipedia says it is unclear whether the villa was also left to NYU and that the university may have declined it over taxes^†.