In the glittering world of the elite, we often assume that fame and fortune are hereditary rights, passed down like a family crest from one generation to the next. However, for some of the world’s most successful entertainers and tycoons, the ultimate act of parenting wasn’t a trust fund, but a tough love lesson in self-reliance.
Whether driven by deep-seated family feuds, a desire to prevent nepo-baby entitlement, or a philosophical belief that wealth should be earned rather than inherited, these stars made the shocking decision to leave their children off the payroll. Here are ten celebrities who ensured their final curtain call didn’t include a payday for their heirs.
Joan Crawford
The Hollywood legend’s final act was perhaps her most dramatic, as her will explicitly excluded her two older adopted children, Christopher and Christina, “for reasons which are well known to them.” This cold dismissal fueled the fire for Christina’s scorched-earth memoir, Mommie Dearest, which painted a harrowing picture of a relationship defined by discipline rather than affection.
Tony Curtis
The Some Like It Hot star shocked his five children—including scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis—when it was revealed he had rewritten his estate plan just months before his 2010 passing. Curtis left his entire fortune to his sixth wife, Jill Vandenberg, leaving his biological offspring with absolutely nothing. Despite a legal challenge from his daughter Kelly, the courts upheld the actor’s right to disinherit his children, proving that even a legendary cinematic legacy offers no guarantee of a financial one.
Jackie Chan
The martial arts icon has been remarkably vocal about his decision to leave his estimated $400 million fortune to charitable causes rather than his son, Jaycee. Chan’s philosophy is rooted in a strict work ethic; he famously remarked that if his son is capable, he can make his own money, and if he isn’t, then he would only be wasting his father’s hard-earned wealth.
Mickey Rooney
After a career spanning nearly nine decades, the former child star died with a primary estate valued at a meager $18,000, which he left entirely to a stepson who had been his caregiver. Rooney’s biological children were intentionally omitted from the will, a decision stemming from years of elder abuse allegations and legal battles that had depleted his once-vast earnings.
Kirk Douglas
The Spartacus star was as legendary for his philanthropy as he was for his chin dimple, ultimately directing the lion’s share of his estate to the Douglas Foundation. While his son Michael Douglas was already a wealthy superstar in his own right, the elder Kirk ensured that the family wealth would benefit underprivileged students and a litany of children’s hospitals instead of padding his heirs’ bank accounts.
Jerry Lewis
The comedian left a punchline that his children didn’t find funny: his will specifically disinherited all six children from his first marriage. Lewis went as far as to name each child individually in the document to ensure there was no ambiguity regarding their exclusion from his multi-million dollar estate. This total severance shifted his entire wealth to his second wife and their adopted daughter, marking a definitive end to decades of public and private estrangement.
Philip Seymour Hoffman
The late Oscar winner took a principled stand against “trust fund kids,” refusing to set up a financial cushion for his three young children before his untimely death in 2014. Hoffman’s accountant revealed that the actor wanted his partner and the mother of his children, Mimi O’Donnell, to have full control so that the kids would be forced to find their own way in the world. He reportedly ignored professional advice to create trusts, fearing that an easy inheritance would sap his children of their ambition.
James Brown
The Godfather of Soul’s estate was mired in over 15 years of litigation after he left the bulk of his fortune to a trust dedicated to educating underprivileged children in South Carolina and Georgia. His various heirs and children contested the will relentlessly, leading to a legal quagmire that nearly bankrupted the very legacy Brown sought to preserve. A settlement was eventually reached in 2021, partly overturning previous agreements and ensuring his son with Tomi Rae Hynie, James Jr., and other heirs received a share, ending the long dispute.
Daniel Craig
The man who redefined James Bond for a new generation calls the concept of inheritance “distasteful.” Craig, who has two daughters, has been vocal about his plan to get rid of his estimated $160 million fortune or give it away to charitable causes before he passes. His philosophy is rooted in an old adage that if you die a rich man, you’ve failed; he believes that passing down massive sums of unearned capital creates more psychological baggage than financial freedom.
Sting
The former Police frontman grew up in a working-class shipbuilding community, and he is determined to ensure his six children possess the same grit he used to climb to the top. Sting has publicly stated that there won’t be much money left for his offspring to inherit because he and his wife, Trudie Styler, are actively spending it on their lifestyle and extensive philanthropic commitments. He famously described trust funds as “albatrosses” around a young person’s neck, preferring that his children find their own vocational calling rather than relying on his $400 million catalog.