The World's Richest Dog Dies | Who gets Trouble's money?
Trouble Helmsley, the sassy Maltese owned by the infamous Queen of Mean (Leona Helmsley), went to that big treat buffet in the sky on December 13, 2010. She was 12 years old at the time of her expiration. If only Trouble's demise had been reported in a more timely manner, I could have sent a rawhide wreath along with my condolences.
But is anyone really mourning fluffy-butt's passing? Her mom, Leona, passed into purgatory (where only the mean people pay taxes), in 2007 and Leona's brother Alvin didn't want to care for the pooch, so Trouble hopped a private jet down to Florida where Carl Lekic, manager of the Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel assumed responsibility. Sounds like Carl may have genuinely liked the pampered pup.
I have it on the down-low that Trouble was a feisty little gal, biting anyone who got too close to Leona (clearly Trouble inherited more from mom than just her money). Mama Leona would not be happy if she knew the $12 million she bequeathed to T-dawg was reduced to a measly $2 million by a New York judge. No sweat though, turns out $2 mil was more than enough to cover her expenses.
Trouble's annual expenditures:
- $8,000 - grooming
- $1,200 - food (her chef-prepared crab cakes were replaced with canned dog food)
- $2,500 to $18,000 - medical care (Trouble had kidney problems)
- $100,000 - full-time security guards (Trouble received 20 to 30 death and kidnapping threats)
- $60,000 - guardian fee for Mr. Lekic
When Trouble slipped into her eternal dog nap, the remainder of her $2 million inheritance reverted to the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, estimated to be worth $5 to $8 billion in 2007. In her will, Leona instructed the trustees to disperse the funds in ways that would benefit dogs, but the trustees are not legally obligated to fulfill her wishes, so they haven't. So much for fancy estate lawyers.
In 2009, the HSUS, ASPCA and Maddie's Fund went to court accusing the trustees of a "scheme to deprive dog welfare charities" of their share of the Helmsley estate. Their motion was denied.
To date the trust has given away more than $450 million with only $100,000 (about one-fiftieth of one percent) donated to organizations that help dogs.
And finally, Leona's desire to have her canine companion rest beside her in the Helmsley mausoleum was squashed since Sleepy Hollow Cemetery does not allow animals to be interred on their property. Why not? It's not like we're going to relieve ourselves on someone's tombstone. Boy, if Leona were alive, heads would roll.
Here's a little Helmsley mausoleum trivia for you:
- The mausoleum cost $1.4 million to construct and sits on ¾-acres in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Westchester County, New York.
- Embedded in 3 of the interior walls are Tiffany-style stained glass windows depicting the Manhattan skyline. Because having a beautiful view in one's crypt is crucial...really?
- Leona left $3 million dollars to cover the cost of having her final resting place "washed or steam-cleaned at least once a year." Oh, that pesky crypt dust...
Bo Obama's Dog Blog sources: ABC News, Humane Society of the United States, Seattle Times, The New York Times, theworkingcaregiver blog, Wikipedia, Yahoo News






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Posted by: xl pharmacy | 12/05/2011 at 01:44 PM
I am amazed by the fortune of the dog. I am glad that the estate and fortune went into charity. It is a heart warming story.
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Posted by: Doris pink | 08/08/2011 at 06:01 PM
Whatever cute Trouble's fate, my advice to her appointed guardian(s) is: when travelling to Europe DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT entrust her security to local security co. Securitas AB. I have myself witnessed & evaluated ON THE GROUND their INEFFECTIVENESS, downright to criminal negligence, in their unfortunate outsourced guarding of an Avinor operated airport, a local construction site, and several IMPORTANT businesses & public trusts in the Kingdom of Norway.
@Securitas AB retained attorneys currently on call: before thinking "Libel", remember the old adage that "there's no such thing as "bad" publicity".
Posted by: Rudolph Aspirant | 06/21/2011 at 11:42 AM