The death of Harper Lee has lead to a number of questions concerning her estate. Namely, what was the size of the estate and who did it pass to? The first is easier to answer based on past known earnings which were reportedly close to $2 million every six months before the publication of her latest book which has sold $40 million worth of copies. This information has lead many to believe the author died with an estate worth over $35 million especially considering her simple lifestyle which meant she was not spending much. But who did all that money pass along to? Lee was never married nor did she have any children which leaves a number of nieces and nephews as the closest living relations. However, the sealing of Lee’s will by court order has made it impossible to discern the heirs so unless one of them wants to tell the world a mystery it will remain. But, despite the world’s curiosity, we can at least credit the Lee estate with keeping things secret which is an increasingly difficult task in the age of information.
See, What’s Going On With The Harper Lee Estate?, Wealth Management, March 7, 2016.
Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse for bringing this article to my attention.
