Elaine Kaufman Leaves Elaine’s to Her Manager

For 47 years, Elaine Kaufman ran Elaine’s, an Upper East Side restaurant that was a place where people went to see and be seen. Ever since her death on December 3rd, speculation swirled about the future of Elaine’s. On Wednesday, that speculation was brought to a close.

Ms. Kaufman left Elaine’s, as well as two five-story buildings and the residuary of her estate, to Diane Becker, the woman who has been the manager of Elaine’s for 26 years. Ms. Becker plans to keep the restaurant open with no changes.

Ms. Kaufman’s will stipulates that her apartment is to be sold to pay estate taxes and $230,000 in bequests. Because she died in 2010, her estate owes no federal estate taxes, but it does owe New York estate taxes. She left $50,000 to each of her four nephews and $10,000 to three longtime employees.

See James Barron, Elaine Kaufman Leaves Elaine’s to Her Manager, N.Y. Times, Jan. 5, 2011.

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