Martin Luther King Jr.
It’s little surprise Martin Luther King Jr. didn’t have a will, seeing as he was assassinated at the young age of thirty-nine. Because of this, the various members of his family, including his wife and children, have become locked in a bitter dispute over his fortune, such as it is, and his legacy.
The family ended up selling both his personal possessions and intellectual property as a result, in order to pay off debts. It’s amazing how much King was able to accomplish during his short life, though becoming rich wasn’t one of them – and that might be for the best.
Elvis Presley
He was the King of Rock and Roll, but Elvis didn't have as much in his bank account by the end of his life as you might guess. A mere five million dollars, according to reports. That doesn't even take into account the many debts he'd accumulated over the years.
In his will, Presley named his father Vernon, his grandmother Minnie Mae, and his only child Lisa Marie as the beneficiaries of his will. Strangely, it's his ex-wife Priscilla who is credited with growing his estate to a figure of a hundred million dollars, thanks to places like Graceland, and judicious licensing of his many famous songs.
Kirk Douglas
Following his passing in 2020, this famous actor and high school cheerleader donated the majority of his sixty-one million dollars to his eponymous foundation. Among the beneficiaries from the foundation include the Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Westwood's Sinai Temple, and St. Lawrence University.
The foundation was built on the idea of helping those who cannot help themselves. Oddly, Kirk's well-known son and fellow actor Michael didn't receive anything in the will, though Michael probably doesn't mind that much – he's worth about three hundred million dollars himself. The elder Douglas and his wife Anne spent much of their lives donating to these and other worthy causes.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah is, of course, still with us, but she's still revealed the details of their final wishes. Most of her money – to the tune of three billion dollars – will go to numerous charity organizations and foundations. However, her family is still getting some.
Specifically, she's going to leave almost thirty million dollars to her five beloved dogs. Golden retrievers Luke and Layla, cocker spaniel Sadie, and springer spaniels Sunny and Lauren will all have plenty of dough to last themselves through the end of their long, happy lives, should they live longer than their world-famous master.
Simon Cowell
While Eric Cowell is the son of multi-millionaire media mogul Simon Cowell, but the youngest will have to earn his own fortune. Simon, who is famous for being a recording executive, a caustic judge on American Idol , and some other things, probably.
He's told Esquire magazine that he plans to leave his entire fortune – somewhere around five hundred million dollars – to charity. He's even said that he doesn't believe in passing on from one generation to another. He will simply leave a legacy of making fun of people who think they can sing, and giving lots of money to charity. A good man.