Who Received Betty White’s Estate?

Gold Leaf Estate Planning, LLC

POSTED ON: November 24, 2023
Betty White's Estate
Betty White had pets of her own and it's believed she had set up a pet trust to ensure that her pets were well taken care of after her death.

According to CNN, actress Betty White often joked, “I have to stay in show business to pay for my animal business.” Grunge’s recent article entitled, “Here’s Who Inherited Betty White’s Fortune After She Died,” reports that Betty White’s estate and her most cherished possessions — including clothes, costumes, jewelry, Hollywood mementos and seven Emmy Awards — are being sold off at auction to benefit animals, too.

White, who died in late December 2021 at nearly 100 years old, left most of her estate, estimated to be worth $75 million, to a trust benefiting animal charities — many of the same animal welfare services she supported throughout her life, according to The Daily Star.

However, she did have pets of her own. It’s thought she’d created a pet trust to ensure that her pets were well taken care of after her death. Sources reportedly told The Daily Star that those closest to White were remembered in her will, but most of her estate otherwise went to charities.

Married three times in her life, Betty’s third and final husband, Allen Ludden died in 1981. His three children with late wife Margaret McGloin — David, Martha, and Sarah Ludden — were adults and received a limited inheritance.

White received most of his retirement savings and their properties. Insiders say there was no bitterness or money squabbles.

Her stepchildren from her 1963 marriage to game show host Allen Ludden were not named in White’s will, although The Mary Tyler Moore Show star remained close to them until she died.

The Brentwood home the Hot in Cleveland star and Ludden purchased in 1968 was listed for sale by Betty White’s estate for $10.5 million shortly after her death and sold for about $10.7 million a month later.

When White died, her agent, Jeff Witjas, told People, “I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much.”

Reference: Grunge (Oct. 10, 2023) “Here’s Who Inherited Betty White’s Fortune After She Died”

Written By:

Attorney Zach Wiegand
Zach Wiegand is an estate planning and probate attorney in Minnesota who helps clients on estate planning, probate, and trust administration matters. Zach helps families preserve and protect their hard-earned assets by drafting comprehensive and protective estate plans including wills, trusts, health care directives and powers of attorney.
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