Those born into an affluent and well-known family may face greater challenges than those born into regular families sometimes. How can a person tell whether they attained success on their own or because of their family’s celebrity? Nicolas Cage even altered his own name from Coppola, in order to gain popularity himself.
Celebrity parents will sometimes disinherit their children in order for them to accomplish more. We found 12 examples of this and would like to share them with you. In the bonus part, we’ll tell you about an heiress who was left without her father’s inheritance, but her relatives went out of their way to compensate her.
1. Marlon Brando
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The actor had 11 children with whom he might split his fortune. Nonetheless, when he still lives during his lifetime, he left two people out of his will: Petra, his adoptive daughter whom he nurtured from the age of 14, and his grandson.
The formal explanation was never revealed. However, it is believed that the decision involving Petra was taken because the girl’s mother had sued Brando for money. The Oscar-winning actor’s son of the Oscar-winning actor’s late daughter, Cheyenne was penalized for unknown reasons.
2. Daniel Craig
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The actor playing James Bond is a millionaire. Some calculations reveal that Craig has a fortune of about $160 million, the majority of which he earned as James Bond. His two daughters, on the other hand, are probably getting nothing from the fortune.
Growing up in a poor family, having a father working as a sailor and a mother being an art teacher, Craig thinks that everyone should be able to support themselves on their own. He also dislikes the word “inheritance,” believing that people should spend all of their fortunes during their lifetime.
3. Sean Connery
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People have awaited Sean Connery’s will to be published to see if his son would receive anything, since the actor’s death in 2020. When he’s still alive, Connery stated several times, that he would not allow his son to have any of his fortune so that he can learn something from it: “He doesn’t know what it’s like to have a hard time, but it’s not too late for him to learn life.”
Connery even stated that he hoped his 45-year-old son “to make a living on his own and not off his father’s hook,” in 2007.
4. Kirk Douglas
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Throughout his life, the actor had been dedicated to supporting those in need. Together with his wife, Douglas established a foundation with the mission of “helping those who cannot help themselves.” It’s predictable that he directed nearly all of his assets to charity in his will.
5. Andrew Lloyd Webber
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Over $1 billion has been earned by the well-known composer and writer of The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, and many more popular musicals. Nonetheless, Webber thinks that everyone should make their own fortune, thus his five children won’t ever receive this vast sum.
“It is about having a work ethic — I don’t believe in inherited money at all. I am not in favor of children suddenly finding a lot of money coming their way because then they have no incentive to work,” the composer shares.
6. 50 Cent
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For a long time, the feud between rapper 50 Cent and his son, Marquise, has been the subject of media attention. The truth is that the dad and the youngster often share their texts online to work out their problems. As a result, the rapper openly threatened to leave his son out of his will.
7. Simon Cowell
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The entertainment entrepreneur, who has run shows like The X Factor, American Idol, and America’s Got Talent, likewise has no intention of leaving his children an inheritance. He believes that the best gift one can give their children is their time and the opportunity to teach them what they know.
The producer is opposed to his riches being passed down to his offspring. Cowell says he’d rather contribute the money to children’s and animal welfare organizations.
8. Anderson Cooper
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Anderson Cooper, the well-known American television journalist, recently shared on the radio that he won’t leave an inheritance to his son. He sticks to his parents’ action of simply paying for their children’s tuition. The journalist then goes on to claim that a person should accomplish things on their own.
9. Laurene Powell Jobs
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Laurene Jobs, the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs, is carrying on her husband’s legacy. The mother has no intention of leaving an inheritance to her children, as her late husband had requested. Instead, she wants to “efficiently allocate resources.”
The female entrepreneur puts millions of dollars into businesses that have the potential to better the world. She started a program to help low-income students with college tuition in 2015, for instance.
10. Joan Crawford
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Joan Crawford, an old Hollywood celebrity, was the mother of four adopted children. When the actress died, it was discovered that her older children were left penniless. The younger Crawford twins received the entire Crawford fortune. As a result of the litigation, the elder adopted children were given justice.
11. David Cassidy
A great example of how a parent can really love one child more than the other can be seen with actor David Cassidy. In one of his interviews, he said that he doesn’t consider himself a father to his daughter, Katie Cassidy (who you’ve likely seen in the Gossip Girl series), because he didn’t raise her.
Cassidy, on the other hand, referred to his son as one of the best he had ever known. When the actor died, it was discovered that he left no money to his daughter and instead left everything to his son.
12. Philip Seymour Hoffman
Source: © The Hunger Games: Catching Fire / Lionsgate
Hoffman’s fiancée, costume designer Marianne O’Donnell, was identified as the only heir to his entire fortune (about $35 million) in his testament. Philip and she had three children together. The actor had no intention of leaving his fortune to his children. He didn’t want his successors to feel like “trust fund” kids, according to his accountant.
13. Bonus: Heath Ledger
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Heath Ledger‘s young daughter was left without an inheritance since the actor drafted a will a few years before she was born. When the man died in 2008, his three sisters and parents received all of his belongings. The Ledger family, on the other hand, did the right thing and gave all of Heath’s money to Matilda, Heath’s 2-year-old daughter.
Would you leave all of your money to your children or would you leave them penniless? Let us know in the comments section below.
