George Michael was a worldwide solo star following his breakthrough with his pop band Wham! in the mid-1980s. He sold an estimated 120million records and was reported to have a fortune of £97million ($120million) at his death.
When George Michael died in 2016, he might have had faith that his estate plan was in good shape. His Will left his £97 million estate to his two sisters, father, and seven close friends. However, his Will didn't include his long-term ex-boyfriend Kenny Goss or his boyfriend-at-the-time Fadi Fawaz.
Wham star, George Michael, famously known for hits including 'Faith' and 'Last Christmas,' passed away on Christmas day in 2016. Michael's estate was estimated to be worth just short of £100 million, with the majority of his estate being left to his siblings and various friends.
What was the real cause of George Michael's death?
Michael died on December 25, 2016, at the age of 53. An autopsy later revealed that the pop star had died from natural causes related to heart and liver disease. Michael's partner Fawaz found him dead at his home in Oxfordshire on Christmas morning.
The £97 million fortune left by George Michael to his sister has reportedly “disappeared”, with his sister leaving just £6.2 million in her will. Upon the popstar's death in 2016 on Christmas Day he only had two beneficiaries. Nothing was left to his partner, Fadi Fawaz.
George Michael's True Cause of Death Revealed After Years
Who do George Michael's royalties go to?
In a Christmas message to fans, George Michael's sister, father and former manager write that they have “donated a substantial amount from George's Last Christmas record royalties to some 20 organizations raising money for causes close to George's heart.”
After the encore, George Michael uttered what would be his final words to his fans from the stage: “Thank you, London, we love you. See you soon.” Absolutely haunting. We would not, in fact, see George Michael soon. Nobody knew this would be his last performance, including Michael.
It was either fear of death, or fear of the next bereavement,” he recalled. “I'd never felt that kind of depression. It was the darkest time.” Not much is known about Michael's final moments, as he is presumed to have been alone the night before his death.
For example, George Michael was a proudly gay, but unmarried man, with no children. His mother died in the 1990s and he was survived by his father and two sisters.
The estate of George Michael has extended its global publishing agreement with Warner Chappell Music U.K. The deal covers Michael's solo work and songs from his time in Wham!
He supplemented this with substantial fees for performing at private parties and events in the last ten years of his life. He invested in bricks and mortar, and is believed to have been the owner of at least four lavish homes here in the UK, in Australia and in the United States.
George Michael didn't leave any inheritance money to his godson James Kennedy. The DJ was among a number of George's godchildren who were reportedly poised to inherit a portion of his $125 million fortune, but James has insisted he hasn't seen any of the 'Carless Whisper' hitmaker's money.
One of the best-selling musicians of all time. George Michael (1963-2016) is buried in the West side of Highgate Cemetery, on one side of his mother's grave. His sister Melanie is on the other.
On the surface, George and Elton were incredibly close, especially after the phenomenal success of their duet 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me' in 1991. But George took exception to Elton's constant efforts to get him to give up his partying lifestyle, and their relationship soured from then onwards.
In 2011, Michael fell into a coma after developing pneumonia, but recovered. He performed his final concert at London's Earls Court in 2012. Michael died of heart disease on Christmas Day in 2016, at his home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.
He was a major part of my life and I loved him very, very much.” When he died, Michael was dating Fadi Fawaz; the hairdresser was the one who found the English singer-songwriter's body at his country home.
George Michael's lists three conditions: dilated cardiomyopathy, myocarditis and fatty liver. This means his heart was enlarged, weakened and inflamed. The muscle wasn't doing the job of pumping blood as well as it should have.
#OnThisDay March 29, #2017 George Michael's funeral took place, three months after his sudden death at the age of 53. His family said a 'small, private ceremony' was attended by family and close friends. The coroner's verdict on Michael's death only came three weeks before his funeral.
Holliman was never a band member of what became Wham! but, like her friend Dee C. Lee, was paid on a per performance basis as a backing singer, and continued to live with her parents.
"George Michael continues to donate more than £6,000 a day - £2.3m to good causes in 2024 alone. The late superstar was renowned for his generosity and is still sharing his wealth after his death at the age of 53 at Christmas 2016. Last year, his estate donated £2.33m to The Mill Charitable Trust.
According to news reports, George Michael reportedly left most of his assets to his two sisters. He also left his father a horse racing stud farm, 'The Mill Charitable Trust' artwork and antiques, and his closest friends who he named as beneficiaries the remaining share of his estate.
