Life, Death & Money

At the time of his death in 2017, Tom Petty was worth an estimated 95 million. He had appointed his wife, Dana York, as the sole trustee to his estate. However, very soon after Petty's passing, tensions would arise between Dana and his two daughters from a previous marriage, Adria and Annakim.

When grunge rock icon Chris Cornell dies from suicide in the middle of a tour in May 2017, the world is caught completely off guard. According to Cornell's will, his sole beneficiaries are his widow, Vicky, alongside the Cornell Family Trust. However, soon after his untimely death, the first of many bitter estate battles would surface.

On August 20th, 2007, Leona Helmsley, one of the most infamous and litigious celebrity billionaires of late 20th century New York, dies at the age of 87. Leona earned her massive fortune as a real estate mogul alongside her wildly wealthy husband, Harry Helmsley.

When iconic, comedy sitcom star, Lucille Ball, passes away on April 26, 1989, her sizable $60 million estate is divided and passed on fairly to her two children, Lucie and Desi Arnaz Jr., as well as to her second husband, Peter Morton. However, things get messy for Lucie and Desi Jr. when Peter dies after his remarriage to pro golfer, Susie McAllister.

At 95-years-old, Stan Lee was a comic book legend. However, despite being touted as a "creative genius" whose original characters launched the multi-billion-dollar Marvel movie franchise, Lee was no mastermind when it came to handling his money. In fact, Lee consistently made ill-advised business decisions that would cost him over the course of his lifetime.

When the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin died in 2018, her estate was worth as much as 80 million and included lavish assets such as 25 gold records, 18 Grammy Awards, five homes worth approximately 25 million, and her iconic, red grand piano. Yet, despite her tremendous wealth, she dies, reportedly leaving behind no final will or testament detailing how she would like her estate to be managed.