Potential Prince heirs have come forward after his death
On April 21, 2016 Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016), known to the world as “Prince”, was found dead in his Paisley Park home in Minnesota. Since his passing, it has been reported that he died as a result of a drug overdose. The drug that allegedly killed him was Fentanyl. This is an opioid that is considered many times more powerful than heroin.
It was also established that Prince passed away without a will. He had no spouse or living children at the time of his death. As a result, it seemed like Prince’s one sibling and five half-siblings might be entitled to a share of the estate. His younger sister Tyka Nelson filed paperwork in Court requesting Bremer Trust, a bank where Prince conducted business, to oversee his estate. A Judge ruled that Bremer Trust would handle the estate. Furthermore, Bremer Trust was allowed to hire and retain industry experts to manage the estate, to protect it, and to build its assets.
Since Prince had no will at the time of his death, various claimants came forward alleging to be related to the family. The number of these potential Prince heirs appeared to set up a complex estate dispute.
Prince heirs list narrowed by Court order
Justice Kevin Elge from Carver County, Minnesota recently ruled out approximately 30 potential claimants. He also ordered genetic testing for several possible family members. Prince’s younger sister, Tyka Nelson, is required to undergo genetic testing. The same applies to three half-siblings, specifically: Sharon Nelson, Norrine Nelson, and John Nelson. These four possible heirs are all claiming that John L. Nelson was their father. Two other possible half-brothers, Omar Baker and Alfred Jackson, were not not ordered to undergo genetic testing. They are claiming they are related to Prince through the same mother, Mattie Shaw, but different fathers. The full story is here.
A Colorado prisoner previously claimed to be Prince’s son. DNA testing has already determined this to be false.
The order by Justice Kevin Elge significantly reduces the number of people who may have claims to Prince’s multi-million dollar estate. It will also impact who gains control of Prince’s legacy and various publishing rights. Future earnings by the estate are likely to be significant. Establishing a list of possible heirs appears to be a preliminary issue. The more significant fight may occur after it becomes clear who stands to benefit from the estate. The parties will have to decide how to allocate and divide the estate and their interests in future earnings. This will be an interesting story to follow.
More on this story here.