Heath Ledger's Entire Estate Left to Daughter Matilda

[Imzadi]

Glad to see the family is doing right by Heath and his daughter:

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,24411670-2761,00.html

Heath Ledger's Matilda to get the lot

Wendy Caccetta
September 27, 2008 05:00pm

EVERY penny of Heath Ledger's estimated $20 million will go to his little girl Matilda Rose, Ledger's father says.

In his will, which has been probated behind closed doors at the Supreme Court in Perth, Ledger left everything to his parents and three sisters.

Many observers expected his former partner Michelle Williams to lodge a claim on the will, which was signed by the actor on April 12, 2003, two years before Matilda was born.

The will left half of the estate to Ledger's sisters, Kate and Olivia Ledger and Ashleigh Bell.

The remainder was to go to his parents, Kim Ledger and Sally Bell, after debts had been paid.

But Ledger's father, Kim, says there will be no challenge and the family has given everything to Matilda.

"There is no claim,'' Mr Ledger said. "Our family has gifted everything to Matilda.''

The 28-year-old Ledger doted on Matilda, but was separated from Williams, who joined the Ledger family in Perth for a memorial and wake on Cottesloe Beach in February.

Some estimates have put the value of the Heath Ledger estate at up to $20 million.

But Adelaide accountant Mark Dyson, who is an executor of the estate, said he could not reveal what Matilda would inherit.

The will, filed at the Manhattan equivalent of Australia's Family Court after Ledger died in New York on January 22 from a cocktail of prescription drugs, puts the bulk of his assets into a trust.

Despite the millions of dollars in property in Ledger's trusts, his will lists assets and cash of just $145,000, with no mention of mansions or millions.

Williams' father has previously challenged the grieving Ledger family to publicly state the value of their son's fortune.

Larry Williams, one of the world's best-known stock market traders, said he was perplexed that documents filed in a New York court listed Ledger's assets at just $145,000.

"It's real simple: just come clean with everything,'' he said." ​

Here is a picture of Matilda on tmz.com

 

[Suzie Zoo]

I had no doubt that they would do this.
Michelle's father annoys me.

 

[Mermaid02]

That little girl looks so much like her father......

 

[KikiFan]

I had no doubt that they would do this.
Michelle's father annoys me.

I wasn't so sure the father would have. There were some pretty credible claims about him mishandling his father's (or maybe mother's?) estate and cheating his brothers.

While I generally think Williams is a slime. I think he had legitimate reason to be concerned for his daughter and granddaughter. There was a history of dirty dealing, the numbers didn't seem to add up, and if anyone would recognize something shady, it would be Williams.

In all fairness though, I think Heath would have wanted his sisters to have something. 20 million is a pretty hefty amount for a little kid.

 

[Imzadi]

In all fairness though, I think Heath would have wanted his sisters to have something. 20 million is a pretty hefty amount for a little kid.

I think that too - including the parents. If you read Heath's will, he split his money fairly, so that all members of his family would be taken care of. Even if they each got 1%, $200,000 would be a nice chunk of change for them each to retire with. I think Heath would have wanted that.

Perhaps, when Matilda comes of age and inherits the money, she will see to it that they are taken care of.

 

[PlainJane]

In all fairness though, I think Heath would have wanted his sisters to have something. 20 million is a pretty hefty amount for a little kid.

I was thinking the same thing. I would think he would want his entire family to be taken care of. 20 million dollars isn't necessary to raise a little girl, and it's not like her mother is destitute either.

Don't get me wrong, I think the biggest portion should have gone to the little girl, but something could have gone to the other family members. Do they not even get to keep momentous that have personal meaning to them?

 

[tinatark]

I am glad that the little girl will be inheriting her father's fortune. I don't necessarily agree that his parents/siblings should be taken care of. He did split his estate before he had a child, but his priority after the baby was born should have been her.

It bugs me a bit that the baby's mother assumed such a prominent role - almost the widow role after his death - they were together, had a baby, split up and had gone their separate ways by the time he died.

 

[Breezie]

I am glad that the little girl will be inheriting her father's fortune. I don't necessarily agree that his parents/siblings should be taken care of. He did split his estate before he had a child, but his priority after the baby was born should have been her.

It bugs me a bit that the baby's mother assumed such a prominent role - almost the widow role after his death - they were together, had a baby, split up and had gone their separate ways by the time he died.

I don't think that's her fault. We don't really know what happened between them. They could have both still loved each other, and it just didn't work. I know I would have been bereft (bereaved? I'm bad with words!) if my former partner, and the father of my child had passed away.

I am glad that this whole mess was cleared up, and Matilda is well taken care of. She is such a beautiful child, and the spitting image of her father.

 

[Suzie Zoo]

It sounds like they did it by choice, though. It's probably their way of honoring Heath.

In some ways, I think Michelle was the grieving "widow", much in the same way Shanna Moakler is by Travis Barker's side right now.

 

[MrsKreamer]

Michelle has always said theat the only reason they were apart was his drug problem.

 

[Piecey]

Michelle has always said theat the only reason they were apart was his drug problem.

I agree.

I think if it weren't for that, they would definitely be together.

 

[Disney Doll]

Well, if I was Michelle Williams, here's what I'd do.

I'd petition the court to give something to his sisters and his parents. Not the whole estate, but come on, the kid is inheriting $22 million...would inheriting $19 million made that much of a differnece?

Plus, Matilda's mother can also command a decent paycheck and one would assume that she is going to continue to be a wroking actress, so when she passes away, Matilda will be benefitting from her estate as well.

 

[luv2nascar]

I don't know his sisters financial situation but it seemed Heath wanted his sister to have it so - if it is really $20million and I was Michelle I would keep half for Matilda and divide the other half evenly between the sisters.

 

[Deb in IA]

A nice gesture.

However, I doubt Matilda needs the money. Her mother is also movie star, and not exactly poor either.

 

[luvmy3]

I don't know his sisters financial situation but it seemed Heath wanted his sister to have it so - if it is really $20million and I was Michelle I would keep half for Matilda and divide the other half evenly between the sisters.

Michelle should have absolutely no say in what happens to that money. If Heath's family is gifting it all to Matilda, and its going into a trust for her, its her money. Michelle has no right to give any of that money back to Heath's family.
I agree that Matilda may not need all of it, but thats not the point. Heath left his estate to his family before he had his daughter. I'm sure he would want his daughter to have it, no matter how much money her mother had, or will in the future. I think its a wonderful thing what Heath's family did, they did not have to give her everything. I'm sure they understand that although they could have used it (who wouldn't) that it wasn't Heath's obligation to provide for them in the event of his death, but it was his obligation to provide for any of his own children.

 

[luvmy3]

A nice gesture.

However, I doubt Matilda needs the money. Her mother is also movie star, and not exactly poor either.

It doesn't make any difference how much money her mother is going to make, or if she needs all of it. Matilda was his only daughter and his estate should go to her. I'm not sure why he never revised his will, but I'm sure he wasn't thinking that he would die when his daughter was just a preschhooler.

 

[disney kid at heart]

I didn't know his family was not giving Matilda any of estate until I read where Johnny Depp, Colin Farrel, and someone else that finished his final film gave all their salaries to Matilda. I thought that was so good of them. I'm glad his family did the right thing. She's the spitting image of her dad.

 

[castleview]

While I generally think Williams is a slime. I think he had legitimate reason to be concerned for his daughter and granddaughter. There was a history of dirty dealing, the numbers didn't seem to add up, and if anyone would recognize something shady, it would be Williams.
.

Yes, it would be given how shady he is. Has he been extradited yet? I just hope this kid becomes something. When your financial future is all set, you tend to not strive for anything.

 

[TinkPinkPoem]

It's great that she will get her inheritance and that her future is financially secure. As a PP stated, when she comes of age she can make the choice to give some of the money to her father's family if she wants to.

Michelle has always said theat the only reason they were apart was his drug problem.

I've never read any statements by her concerning that (and I don't think she would state such thing as she seems like a very private person),but it was more or less mentioned in the People spread on Heath after his passing. That little girl is his spitting image; it's so sad she lost her dad so young.

 

[chisnpeke]

I am glad that the little girl will be inheriting her father's fortune. I don't necessarily agree that his parents/siblings should be taken care of. He did split his estate before he had a child, but his priority after the baby was born should have been her.

It bugs me a bit that the baby's mother assumed such a prominent role - almost the widow role after his death - they were together, had a baby, split up and had gone their separate ways by the time he died.

In interviews after their split but before he died I think it was clear that Michelle still loved Heath. I think that they may have gotten back together if he got his problems under control.