Celebrity Estates: Wills of the Rich and Famous

Celebrity Estates: Wills of the Rich and Famous

Welcome to the Celebrity Estates podcast. In this podcast we break down high profile celebrity estate planning cases for advisors and their clients. Most celebrity estate catastrophes are based on the same issues that everyday people face, just with the volume turned up. Our goal is to identify and extract the individual estate planning issues that lie at the heart of each story. We then discuss what advisors should expect and how to avoid common pitfalls.

Episodes

May 27, 2025 26 mins
Leon Spinks shocked the world in 1978 when, in just his eighth professional fight, he defeated Muhammad Ali to become the undisputed heavyweight champion, a victory still regarded as one of boxing’s greatest upsets. Yet, despite his early success and multimillion-dollar earnings, financial missteps and the long-term effects of brain injuries would take a heavy …

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When Bob Marley passed away in 1981, he left behind a musical legacy, but no estate plan. Due to his religious beliefs, Marley didn’t create a will, and what followed was a legal firestorm: forged documents, disputed signatures and a tangled web of allegations involving his wife, attorney and accountant. In this episode, David Lenok …

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After four decades of acting and winning multiple awards, Gene Hackman was found dead in his home at the age of 95, along with his wife and primary caretaker, Betsy Arakawa. Forensics uncovered that his wife predeceased him, leaving him to struggle with Alzheimer’s alone before passing away one week later. Join WealthManagement.com Senior Editor …

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With Donald Trump appearing at his recent inauguration flanked by tech billionaires, the connection between presidents and the almighty dollar is more apparent than ever. However, Trump is not the only president with an interesting relationship with money. In this episode of the Celebrity Estates podcast, host David Lenok welcomes back Megan Gorman, a wealth …

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Jim Thorpe, revered as one of the greatest athletes in American history, exemplifies how personal wishes and legal rights can conflict posthumously. Thorpe’s estranged third wife, Patricia, moved his remains to a town in Pennsylvania, which now bears his name, in a bid to create a tourist attraction, a decision contested by his sons under …

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John Amos, an actor who starred in such television shows as Good Times, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The West Wing, is believed to have died from congestive heart failure, but his only daughter Shannon has doubts. She has accused her brother of elder abuse, including isolating Amos from others, impersonating him in communications …

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Shannen Doherty, a beloved actress, was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, tragically caught too late for treatment. The day before her passing on July 13, 2024, she finalized her divorce from Kurt Iswarienko, ensuring her assets would be passed to her chosen beneficiaries. In this episode, David Lenok and guest Shawn Goheen stress the …

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Simon Cowell, reality star and record producer, has an estimated net value worth of $600 million. How much of that will be left for his son? According to him, nothing. Listen in as host David Lenok is joined by Thomas Kopelman, head of community at Estate Planning platform wealth.com and co-founder of All Street Wealth. …

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Even celebrities aren’t free of the pitfalls of poor estate and legacy planning. With their lives and finances often in the spotlight, it can be easy to see where they fall short and how to avoid those same problems if you know where to look. Join David Lenok and his guest, psychologist and economist Eric …

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Len Bias was a star basketball player at the University of Maryland drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1986 and one step away from becoming a pro athlete. Unfortunately, he passed away just two days after being selected but before signing any MBS or sponsorship documents, leaving him and his family just out of reach …

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A close-knit network of family businesses, the NFL earns around $200 billion annually. On top of traditional family business within their individual branches, the NFL navigates those same financial planning connections between extended family members as well. Join David Lenok and his guest Alvina Lo, chief wealth strategist at Wilmington Trust, as they delve into …

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When King Charles III was crowned, he had lived a life full of experiences at the age of 74. His heirs equally have lived their lives and made their own decisions, including his son Harry who has taken up residence in the US. This decision will impact how Harry’s inheritance will be taxed after his …

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Uncut Gems star Julia Fox recently went viral for posting a TikTok video showcasing her home, which was modest compared to the extravagant wealth you expect from someone wealthy and famous. Today, many millennials are shifting away from buying luxury homes. In this episode, David Lenok speaks with Kelley Wolfington, Senior Wealth Strategist at SEI …

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Bob Barker is best known as the beloved host of The Price Is Right, the longest-running game show in American television history. Barker sadly passed away in August 2023. The majority of his estate was donated to forty different animal and military charities, which was no surprise, given his life as a vegetarian and an …

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The entertainment industry is a world of buying, selling and competing for the right to use certain intellectual property and work in specific places. Managing the money, and more importantly, the tax implications requires a deft hand. In this episode, David Lenok speaks with Charles Lubar, retired Senior Counsel from McDermott Will & Emery, about …

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When King Charles III was crowned, he had lived a life full of experiences at the age of 74. His heirs equally have lived their lives and made their own decisions, including his son Harry who has taken up residence in the US. This decision will impact how Harry’s inheritance will be taxed after his …

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Kylie Jenner has been an influential figure since 2010 as a model, business owner and social media personality. The majority of her wealth comes from the sale of 51% of her cosmetics company for an estimated $600 million. In this episode, David Lenok speaks with Brad Franc, Director of Business Law at Houston Harbaugh and …

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Lisa Marie Presley was only 9 years old when her father, Elvis Presley, died and she gained control of his whole estate at the age of 25. When she passed in 2023, her mother, Pricilla Presley, challenged the legitimacy of Lisa Marie’s daughters being named trustees of the trust containing the assets in Lisa Marie’s …

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Summary: Uncut Gems star Julia Fox recently went viral for posting a TikTok video showcasing her home, which was modest compared to the extravagant wealth you expect from someone wealthy and famous. Today, many millennials are shifting away from buying luxury homes. In this episode, David Lenok speaks with Kelley Wolfington, Senior Wealth Strategist at …

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The Windsors maintain a rigid estate and succession plan that’s been (in some cases, quite literally) written in stone for hundreds of years. With the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II, it’s an opportune time to ask: What can planners learn from such an impossibly rigid, yet simultaneously extremely transparent ‘plan’? In this episode, David …

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