When it comes to millionaire and billionaire celebrities, many of us imagine that their children will inherit their fortune. Indeed, this is the way wealth has traditionally been handled and it continues to be a popular way of keeping the wealth among the already rich and famous.
However, there are some famous people who, for one reason or another, have pledged or plan to pledge the majority of their fortune to charitable causes, rather than handing it down to their children.
Of course, in many cases these celebrities’ children will still receive a tidy sum: many of the individuals on this list have a net worth so high that a lot of cash will be left over even after the majority is given away.
However, it nonetheless says something about these stars’ values that they are choosing to divert the majority of their wealth in a direction other than their family’s.
Check out this gallery to find out which celebs won’t leave their fortunes to their offspring.
The will of legendary actor Gene Hackman has been made public following his passing in February, naming his late wife of 33 years, Betsy Arakawa, as the sole beneficiary. Of course, Arakawa was found dead alongside Hackman and their dog. Hackman’s three children—Christopher, Elizabeth, and Leslie—were not included in the inheritance. According to reports, the decision was made in 1995, long before his death at 95.
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay owns 40 restaurants around the world with 16 Michelin stars between them. He and his wife Cayetana also have five children. In 2017 Ramsay told the Telegraph that his fortune definitely won’t go to his kids. He said that he doesn’t want to spoil them; they also fly economy while their parents sit in first class.
The man behind such programs as ‘The X Factor’ and ‘America’s Got Talent’ has done pretty well for himself. In a 2013 interview he suggested he wouldn’t pass his money on to his offspring. In 2013 Cowell told Esquire: “I don’t believe in passing on from one generation to another.” He added that he would probably leave his money to either a kids or dogs charity.
MacKenzie Bezos joined the Omidyars and signed the Giving Pledge after her divorce from Jeff, which left her with an enormous stake in Amazon. Even after the divorce, in January 2021 the Amazon founder was still the second-richest man in the world and hadn’t yet signed the pledge. He finally signed in 2022.
The multi-billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, who is also a keen philanthropist, told Reddit AMA in 2013: “I definitely think leaving kids massive amounts of money is not a favor to them.” He cited Warren Buffett as having imparted this wisdom. Gates had planned to donate most of his fortune to charitable causes upon his death, with the Gates Foundation continuing its work for several decades. However, he now says he doesn’t want to wait that long and intends to give away his wealth during his lifetime.
