Burt Bacharach's Will Reveals UCLA Receiving Piece Of His Fortune
By Mike Walters on May 25, 2023 at 5:37 PM EDT
Legendary musicianBurt Bacharachhad only a few hundred thousand dollars in "personal property" at the time of his death, but his major assets might be in his trust, which is handing over cash to a Los Angeles University.
According to new legal documents, obtained by The Blast, Bacharach's widow -- Jane Bacharach -- claims the singer only had $200,000 in personal property and nothing in "real property" at the time he died. It's interesting, considering Burt was one of the most successful musicians of all time.
Burt's wife filed the information as part of a probate case with the Los Angeles County Courts and included a copy of the singer's will.
Musician Burt Bacharach Leaves Money To His Wife, Children & Charity
In the will, Burt is clear he would like his wife to be in charge of all of the finances. She is listed as the executor and trustee of the Bacharach family trust. Specifically, Burt wanted half of his community property to go directly to his wife, and the other half to go into the family trust.
Now, it's possible the family trust is holding all of Burt's property and rights to his music catalog. In many cases, celebrities will put valuable assets into their family trust for tax reasons. Also, it sets up their children to be taken care of after death. In fact, Burt's trust lists his children as "beneficiaries." Details of the trust are not included in the public filing.
The legal document is clear that if anyone challenges the will, they will be cut out from receiving anything. But, it doesn't appear that is happening in this case.
UCLA Foundation Gets Donations From Burt Bacharach's Trust
Interestingly, Bacharach listed the UCLA Foundation as a charity that will benefit from his trust. It's unclear how much will be going to the University, but they are listed in the will.
It should be noted, according to their website, through the UCLA Foundation "generous donors participate with building, sustaining and advancing the university. While there was a time when state funds covered almost every dollar UCLA needed to operate, today only six percent of the university’s total budget is paid for through the state’s general fund. Private philanthropy provides the resources UCLA requires to continue growing its stature as a global leader in the creation, sharing, and application of knowledge."
As we reported, Burt Bacharach died on February 8, 2023, from natural causes. He was 94. Dionne Warwick spoke about the legendary singer and their many collaborations, saying, "Bacharach and [Hal] David both were as new to this industry as I was, so we kind of all grew together," Adding, "There was really no need for them to think that they could change anything about me -- and what developed was magical, I got to tell you that. We became best friends, most family than friends, actually, and a relationship that lasted for quite a long time."