9 mega-rich celebrities who will leave their kids with nothing
WHY are so many cashed-up celebrities giving their fortunes away instead of “burdening” their kids with a huge inheritance?
THEY are some of the biggest household names in the world — with bank balances to match.
But you won’t catch these celebrities spoiling their kids with handouts any time soon.
Here’s a list of some of the most famous faces who are showing their offspring tough love and teaching them the value of a dollar.
GORDON RAMSAY
The famous — and famously loaded — celebrity chef and his wife Tana won’t be leaving much cash to their children Matilda, Jack Scott, Holly Anna and Megan Jane.
The Kitchen Nightmares star told the Telegraph he didn’t want to spoil his four kids.
“It’s definitely not going to them, and that’s not in a mean way; it’s to not spoil them. The only thing I’ve agreed with Tana is they get a 25 per cent deposit on a flat, but not the whole flat,” he said.
NIGELLA LAWSON
Another wealthy British celebrity chef who isn’t planning to pass their fortune to their kids is Nigella Lawson.
Her daughter Cosima and son Bruno, from her marriage to the late John Diamond, won’t be receiving a penny of her vast fortune after she famously told My Weeklythat money “ruins people”.
“I am determined that my children should have no financial security. It ruins people not having to earn money,” she said.
BILL GATES
Bill and Melinda Gates are big believers in charity — they just refuse to extend that charity to their own offspring.
The couple will pay for college for kids Jennifer, Rory and Phoebe — but they insist they will have to find jobs and pay their own way in life.
The Microsoft founder told This Morning: “It’s not a favour to kids to have them have huge sums of wealth. It distorts anything they might do, creating their own path.”
SIMON COWELL
Before the birth of son Eric in 2014, the Britain’s Got Talent judge told Esquire he didn’t believe in leaving kids with a big inheritance.
He said he’d leave his £350m ($A617 million) fortune to charity.
“I’m going to leave my money to somebody. A charity, probably — kids and dogs. I don’t believe in passing on from one generation to another,” he said.
MARK ZUCKERBERG
The Facebook founder and his wife Priscilla Chan won’t leave much for their children Maxima and August.
In an open letter, the pair pledged to donate the vast majority of their fortune to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative instead of keeping it in the family.
“We will give 99% of our Facebook shares — currently about $45 billion — during our lives to advance this mission. We know this is a small contribution compared to all the resources and talents of those already working on these issues. But we want to do what we can, working alongside many others,” they wrote.
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN
When the actor died in 2014, it was revealed he left most of his estate to his partner and mother instead of children Tallulah, Willa and Cooper.
According to the New York Post, he “did not want his children to be considered ‘trust fund’ kids”.
STING
In 2014, the singer told Mail on Sunday his six kids wouldn’t inherit his £180 million ($A370 million).
Instead, Joe, Eliot, Giacomo, Jake, Mickey and Fuchsia will have to work, just like the rest of us.
“I certainly don’t want to leave them trust funds that are albatrosses round their necks. They have to work. All my kids know that and they rarely ask me for anything, which I really respect and appreciate,” he said.
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG
The former New York mayor has signed up to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s
Gates’ Giving Pledge — which means most of his wealth will go to The Bloomberg Philanthropic Foundation instead of daughters Emma and Georgina.
“If you want to do something for your children and show how much you love them, the single best thing — by far — is to support organisations that will create a better world for them and their children,” he wrote.
ELTON JOHN
Sir Elton and husband David Furnish won’t be spoiling sons Elijah and Zachary by leaving them a vast fortune.
The performer told The Mirror that an inheritance would “ruin their life”.
“Of course I want to leave my boys in a very sound financial state. But it’s terrible to give kids a silver spoon. It ruins their life,” he said.
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