Marshall Heirs May Have Lost an Inheritance by Raising Concerns About Anthony D. Marshall

When Phillip Marshall, son of Anthony D. Marshall, raised his concern that his father was mistreating Mrs. Brooke Astor, he may have “cost him and his twin brother, Alexander, about $10 million each in an inheritance they had never realized they were entitled to.”  A.G. Sulzberger, Move to Protect Mrs. Astor May Cost an Inheritance, N.Y. Times, Oct. 11, 2009.  

Details are below:

• When Anthony Marshall divorced the mother of his twin sons Phillip and Alexander, the divorce decree stipulated that he would leave at least 1/3 of his estate to his sons upon death. 
• Years later, Phillip Marshall’s concerns triggered events that led to Anthony Marshall’s conviction for conspiring to steal from Mrs. Brooke Astor.
• Anthony Marshall was found guilty on three counts related to a codicil that transferred Mrs. Astor’s $60 million residual estate to himself. 
• As a result, the codicil will likely be rejected, and Anthony Marshall will not receive the residual estate, thereby eliminating the possibility that some of this money could have passed to the Marshall twins after Anthony Marshall’s death. 
• Despite this, Phillip Marshall does not regret his actions. 

See A.G. Sulzberger, Move to Protect Mrs. Astor May Cost an Inheritance, N.Y. Times, Oct. 11, 2009. 

Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.