Robin Williams was a successful, beloved actor whose films grossed nearly $5 billion worldwide. Yet at the time of his death, he was near bankruptcy and reportedly worth around $50 million due to multiple divorces.
“Divorce is expensive,” Williams, who was married to his third wife at the time of his death, explained to Parade Magazine. “I used to joke they were going to call it ‘all the money,’ but they changed it to ‘alimony.’ It’s ripping your heart out through your wallet.”
Robin was survived by his three children: Zachary, 31, Zelda, 25, and Cody, 22, as well as third wife Susan Schneider Williams and her two teenage kids from a previous marriage.
He set up trust funds for his children
TMZ reported that Robin set up trust funds for all three of his children. The trust documents stated that each child would receive 1/3 of the share at age 21, half of what remained at 25, and their full share at 30. It was not dependent on Robin’s death.
Zachary has received his money in full, while Cody and Zelda have each received payment based on their ages and will be paid in full at age 30. Each of the children released a statement following Robin’s death that relayed how much their father meant to them.
“Yesterday, I lost my father and a best friend and the world got a little grayer,” began the statement from Zak Williams. He is the only child from Robin’s first marriage to Valerie Velardi.
Cody Williams, one of two children from Robin’s second marriage to Marsha Garces, said: “The world will never be the same without him.”
His daughter Zelda’s statement touched the hearts of many fans and showed her love for her late father.
“Dad was, is and always will be one of the kindest, most generous, gentlest souls I’ve ever known, and while there are few things I know for certain right now, one of them is that not just my world, but the entire world is forever a little darker, less colorful and less full of laughter in his absence. We’ll just have to work twice as hard to fill it back up again.”
Still, Robin’s death proved stressful for his children, who found themselves entangled in a battle over his $100 million estate with wife Susan Schneider Williams.
Robin left his kids his estimated $100 million estate as well
Almost six months following Robin’s death, his three children and widow became involved in a contentious legal dispute over his estate and various personal possessions. Robin took his own life in August 2014. By December, court documents revealed that Schneider Williams and the three children were engaged in a disagreement over the money and property left to them.
Both sides revealed their interest in keeping memorabilia such as Robin’s bicycles, collections of fossils, and photographs. The largest asset at stake was the $100 million home, which Robin left to his children under the condition that his wife was taken care of.
The two parties ultimately settled allowing Schneider Williams “only a fraction” of the estate, which should be “sufficient to allow her to remain in the home for her lifetime.” She was also allowed to keep the emotional items she requested including their wedding gifts, a watch, and the bike they bought together on their honeymoon.
His children retained Robin’s awards including his Good Will Hunting Best Supporting Actor Academy Award, six Golden Globes, two Emmys, and five Grammys, as well as the majority of the estate.
“The children are relieved to have this behind them,” Meredith Bushnell, the attorney for Williams’ children, told People Magazine.
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