Jerry Lewis May Leave Shockingly Modest Estate Behind

The world-renowned comedic actor, Jerry Lewis, died yesterday at the age of 91. Lewis played in such classic films as “The Nutty Professor”, “The Bellboy”, and “The Ladies Man”. His acting acumen was seemingly paired with some business savvy as Lewis owned the rights, from the negatives to the script, to many of his most iconic films. Somewhat underwhelming though is the final value of his estate: a mere $2 million. Considering his global footprint, this is substantially less than most might expect.

There has been some speculation that the hoard of intellectual property Lewis owned may yet be worth substantial sums. A real estate deal in 2002 saw Lewis buy his home back from a trust he created years earlier. This is an unusual transaction, and it may be the case that the repurchase of the home was designed to cover a transfer of Lewis’s intellectual property to the trust. Unfortunately, unless Lewis provided for a successor to take over his rights to the films, the chance for a remake of his classic films is nonexistent.

See Scott Martin, Jerry Lewis May Leave Shockingly Modest Estate Behind, Wealth Advisor, August 20, 2017.