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Home Page > News > Recluse New York heiress leaves fortune to nurse and art charity – VIDEO

Recluse New York heiress leaves fortune to nurse and art charity – VIDEO

Strong-willed woman’s astounding estate revealed through 2005 will

KATE HICKEY,

IrishCentral.com Editor

Published Friday, June 24, 2011, 8:04 AM

Updated Friday, June 24, 2011, 8:04 AM

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Huguette Clarke - MUST CREDIT: Copper King Mansion, Butte, Montana

Huguette Clark, the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in the United States, has left most of her $400 million estate to her nurse and personal friend and a charity which promotes the arts.

Last month the 104-year-old millionaire heiress died leaving a question over what would become over her massive estate. Clarity was provided this week when her lawyer filed Clark’s 2005 will with the Surrogate Court in Manhattan.

John D. Dadakis, a lawyer from the firm Holland & Knight who filed the will explained that Clark’s estate is made up of an art collection including works by Monet, Renoir, John Singer Sargent and William Merritt Chase. Her will also included her real estate and financial investments as well as a large doll collection from porcelain to Barbies.

The will revealed that Hadassah Peri, Clark’s nurse and close friend, has inherited her doll collection (potentially worth millions) as well as 60 percent of various assets worth $40 million. Clark’s goddaughter, Wanda Styka, will receive 25 percent.

A foundation established to promote the arts will receive her Santa Barbara estate, most of her art collection, all her musical instruments and her rare book collection.

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She also left $1 million to the Beth Israel Medical Center where she lived in her final years. She left $500,000 to her assistant and $100,000 to a doctor.

Her 1907 original Claude Monet paint from the “Water Lillies” series was given to the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington.

Her lawyer Wallace Bock, and to her accountant, Irving H. Kamsler were left $500,000 each. There was also an explicit note that said no family members would receive anything because of their minimal contact with her.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office is investigating Bock and Kamsler and how they have handled Clark’s money.

Dadakis who is representing Bock and Kamsler in the surrogate court proceedings said the men had done what the heiress had asked them to do. She left them this money because they were close to her.

Speaking to the New York Times Dadakis said “When you understand who Mrs. Clark was I think you clearly see that this is a lady that was very strong willed. This will speaks for that being strong willed, the way she was.”

Clark was not a woman that many knew well. For the past several decades Clark had lived in various hospitals in New York with her only contact being with chosen medical professionals and staff. She also had not children and no close relatives.

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ciarajoyce | Jun 26, 2011, 09:50 PM EDT

I see nothing wrong with the way this lady lived or with her will. I'm from a fairly small family but I'm only in touch with one first cousin and a brother-in-law. I imagine her family was as hateful as mine! She was a recluse because when she was young and healthy, she was the subject of gossip columnists and that age's version of our papparazi, as well as british fortune hunters. It hurts to see or hear lies about your life, so she stopped giving anyone reason to write, photograph, or gossip about her. When she got old, the family continued to ignore her. She had been living in hospitals for "several decades" when she died. I expect her "family" started sniffing around only after she became permanently hospitalized, and that's insulting to anyone. ("Hi. We know we've never called or written, but now that your health is starting to fail, we want to make sure you leave us all your money.") The amount of money she left to her attorney and accountant is very small compared to the annual salaries top level NY (and DC, Chicago, Phila, Boston, SF, etc) attorneys earn. Many attorneys make over $2 million a year from their law practice and they do other things (sit on Boards of Directors, teach, own businesses, etc) to make even more money. I think the District Attorney's office is investigating the attorney and accountant to make sure everything is as she'd directed -- and to warn other attorneys and accountants not to alter any wills they handle. It is something that happens too often but not usually with an estate as big as this one because of the publicity. Her mystery family may file suit to change the will, but that shouldn't be tolerated by the Courts.

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citizen69 | Jun 25, 2011, 06:08 AM EDT

Her father was William A. Clark, who was born in a humble log cabin in 1839 to a poor Ulster Scot family in Pennsylvania. He rose to become one of the richest men on the planet. He was involved in mining, rail roads, banking & politics. In his time he was neck & neck with Rockefeller in terms of wealth. He owned much of Las Vegas which became a stop off on his Salt Lake railroad company. The county in which Las Vegas resides is named Clark County in his honour as well as Clarksdale Arizona. He became a state senator in Montana although his career was marred by allegations of exploitation & corruption.

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sisterwoman | Jun 24, 2011, 06:46 PM EDT

Stop projecting onto this woman. Her life, her companions, her wealth and legacy was hers to do with as she commanded. Unless she was coerced, she felt her family was undeserving of any inheritance. Fact is some families are rotten! She obviously created an alternative family and damn well good, if her family was rotten like so many of them are behind closed doors. Looks like a determined woman living her life under her own terms. Shocking! lol

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Woodman | Jun 24, 2011, 04:33 PM EDT

What a pathetic failure.

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mcdolan | Jun 24, 2011, 01:39 PM EDT

I feel sorry for someone who felt the need to shut herself off from the world. Not a great life at all.

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cillowen | Jun 24, 2011, 12:00 PM EDT

the sniffers are always aware ..... seeing the xxx whose headed somewhere and viola they become ensnared.

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