Paul Allen’s Will Sheds Little Light on What Will Happen to Estate

Paul Allen’s six-page will was filed with King County on October 24, the same day that his sister, Jody, was announced as his executor and trustee of his estate. His will did not provide as much clarification as anticipate, instead pointed to a living trust established decades ago. The disposition of the assets within the trust are not expected to be made public. Forbes has estimated his wealth at $20 billion.

Allen died on October 15 at age 65 from complications of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He was a co-founder of Microsoft, owned the Seattle Seahawks, donated significantly to the arts community and scientific research, and ran the multifaceted Vulcan Inc., which reshaped the real-estate landscape of South Lake Union.

Jody Allen said last month that “I will do all that I can to ensure that Paul’s vision is realized, not just for years, but for generations.” Allen signed the will on July 18, with two Vulcan employees as witnesses.

See Rachel Lerman, Paul Allen’s Will Sheds Little Light on What Will Happen to Estate, Seattle Times, November 8, 2018.

Special thanks to Adam J. Hirsch (Professor of Law at the University of San Diego School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.