Did Doris Duke leave her money to her butler?
Despite the negation, after Duke’s death, the estate’s trustees settled a lawsuit brought by Heffner for $65 million. In her final will, Duke left virtually all of her fortune to several existing and new charitable foundations. She appointed her butler, Bernard Lafferty, as executor of her estate.
Who inherited Doris Duke’s estate?
Bernard Lafferty
For over 50 years, she sought to avoid the glare of publicity, hiding from cameras and refusing interviews. When she died at her Beverly Hills mansion, without family or friends, Duke’s billion-dollar legacy was left in the sole control of her butler, the semiliterate alcoholic Bernard Lafferty.
Who got Bernard Lafferty money?
Bernard Lafferty (1945–1996) was an Irish butler and heir to well-known American tobacco heiress and philanthropist, Doris Duke. Duke hired Lafferty in 1987 and named him the executor of her $1.2 billion estate 6 months prior to her death in 1993….
| Bernard Lafferty | |
|---|---|
| Relatives | Jim McCalliog (cousin) |
Where did the Duke family get their money?
Their father inherited three trusts when he turned 21 in the early 1970s, totaling about $65 million (about $350 million in today’s dollars). The largest came from his grandmother Nanaline Duke, who was American Tobacco Company chief James Buchanan “Buck” Duke’s second wife.
How long did Bernard Lafferty work for Doris Duke?
There was one significant change: Doris replaced her current executor with a man named Bernard Lafferty. She had known Bernard for six years, during which he served as her butler and closest confidant.
What happened to Doris Duke adopted daughter?
The adopted daughter of the late billionaire Doris Duke has agreed to drop several claims against the estate in return for more than $65 million, according to a settlement approved in Manhattan Surrogate’s Court.
Who did Dina Merrill leave her money to?
Real Estate: In 2018, it was reported that Dina’s prestigious estate in East Hampton Village had sold for $8.2 million. By this point, Dina had already passed away. The buyer was none other than Merrill’s own daughter, Nedenia Rumbough.