NEW YORK, Aug. 29, 2007

Leona Helmsley Leaves $12M To Her Dog

Will Of Late New York Hotel Queen Leaves Nothing To Two Grandchildren

  • Play CBS Video Video 'Queen Of Mean' Passes Away

    Leona Helmsley, a New York hotel and real estate millionaire famous for her tax evasion trial in the late 1980s, passed away at her summer home in Greenwich, Conn. She was 87.

    • Leona Helmsley and her dog Trouble photographed in Leona Helmsley's Park Lane Hotel apartment. Friday, January 31, 2003 in New York. Photo

      Leona Helmsley and her dog Trouble photographed in Leona Helmsley's Park Lane Hotel apartment. Friday, January 31, 2003 in New York.  (AP Photo/Jennifer Graylock)

    • Leona Helmsley and her husband, self-made billionaire Harry Helmsley, arrive at federal court in New York, April 30, 1988, where they were facing tax evasion charges. Photo

      Leona Helmsley and her husband, self-made billionaire Harry Helmsley, arrive at federal court in New York, April 30, 1988, where they were facing tax evasion charges.  (AP)

    • Leona with real estate magnate Harry Helmsley, on Jan. 6, 1989.  The two were married in 1972; when he died in 1997, she said:  Photo

      Leona with real estate magnate Harry Helmsley, on Jan. 6, 1989. The two were married in 1972; when he died in 1997, she said: "My fairy tale is over. I lived a magical life with Harry."  (AP)

    • Leona Helmsley, seen here in 2004, saw herself as a tough businesswoman but the complaints of employees and contractors instead earned her the nickname Photo

      Leona Helmsley, seen here in 2004, saw herself as a tough businesswoman but the complaints of employees and contractors instead earned her the nickname "Queen of Mean," a title to which she took exception.  (Getty Images/Paul Hawthorne)

    • Leona Helmsley, during her heyday running the Harley hotel chain, seen here in July 1991, before serving 21 months for a tax evasion conviction. Photo

      Leona Helmsley, during her heyday running the Harley hotel chain, seen here in July 1991, before serving 21 months for a tax evasion conviction.  (AP)

    Previous slide Next slide
(AP)  Leona Helmsley's dog will continue to live an opulent life, and then be buried alongside her in a mausoleum. But two of Helmsley's grandchildren got nothing from the late luxury hotelier and real estate billionaire's estate.

Helmsley left her beloved white Maltese, named Trouble, a $12 million trust fund, according to her will, which was made public Tuesday in surrogate court.

She also left millions for her brother, Alvin Rosenthal, who was named to care for Trouble in her absence, as well as two of four grandchildren from her late son Jay Panzirer - so long as they visit their father's grave site once each calendar year.

Otherwise, she wrote, neither will get a penny of the $5 million she left for each.

Helmsley left nothing to two of Jay Panzirer's other children - Craig and Meegan Panzirer - for "reasons that are known to them," she wrote.

But no one made out better than Trouble, who once appeared in ads for the Helmsley Hotels, and lived up to her name by biting a housekeeper.

"I direct that when my dog, Trouble, dies, her remains shall be buried next to my remains in the Helmsley mausoleum," Helmsley wrote in her will.

The mausoleum, she ordered, must be "washed or steam-cleaned at least once a year." She left behind $3 million for the upkeep of her final resting place in Westchester County, where she is buried with her husband, Harry Helmsley.

She also left her chauffeur, Nicholas Celea, $100,000.

She ordered that cash from sales of the Helmsley's residences and belongings, reported to be worth billions, be sold and that the money be given to the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.

Her longtime spokesman, Howard Rubenstein, had no comment.

Helmsley died earlier this month at her Connecticut home. She became known as a symbol of 1980s greed and earned the nickname "the Queen of Mean" after her 1988 indictment and subsequent conviction for tax evasion. One employee had quoted her as snarling, "Only the little people pay taxes."


© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Video and Galleries from U.S.

Add a Comment See all 65 Comments
by omega39-2009 August 29, 2007 9:08 AM PDT
Hopefully, Bush will be able to push through another tax break for America''s newest millionaire.
Reply to this comment
by jetlizhan August 29, 2007 9:20 AM PDT
i would love to know the reason the 2 grandchildren didn''t get anything; probably something very silly and petty. leona was a monster - d@mn, can you imagine having her for your grandmother?? NO CANDY FOR YOU!!! grandma grouchy nazi
Reply to this comment
by david654321-2009 August 29, 2007 9:23 AM PDT
Michael Vick wants to have a few words with her dog.
Reply to this comment
by nolalou August 29, 2007 9:39 AM PDT
What I don''t understand is who actually gets the 12 million, and what happens to it when the dog dies? The article says her brother already gets additional millions to care for the dog, so what happens to the 12 million? (and what the heck would cost millions for a dog? that must be some great steak she''s being fed!)
Reply to this comment
by missingamerica August 29, 2007 9:58 AM PDT
See, it was possible to find her warm side - all you had to do was act like her dog.
Reply to this comment
by briannorwood August 29, 2007 10:12 AM PDT
There must be a special room in hell for this woman.
Reply to this comment
by lawandorder7 August 29, 2007 10:15 AM PDT
omega39, every one knows why you got $0.00. Some one else that has no one to blame there lot in life on, so you point to the Pres. Get a job and take care of your self, and stop waiting on some one to give you some thing.
Reply to this comment
by lawandorder7 August 29, 2007 10:15 AM PDT
omega39, every one knows why you got $0.00. Some one else that has no one to blame there lot in life on, so you point to the Pres. Get a job and take care of your self, and stop waiting on some one to give you some thing.
Reply to this comment
by obiwan234 August 29, 2007 11:12 AM PDT
Just another example of too much money, so little soul. This woman is beyond the paul, she is and way shameless and dumn as a frapping box-o-rocks.
Reply to this comment
by GRPDiver August 29, 2007 11:33 AM PDT
Interesting that the charitable trust does not follow typicaal naming conventions and lists the wife before the husband in the name. Regardless, I bet that is a fine charitable trust that makes people feel like ***, e.g., the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Center for Colon and Rectal Surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/ Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Reply to this comment
by feedback3-2009 August 29, 2007 11:34 AM PDT
What an a$$hole
Reply to this comment
by rushlimpdrug August 29, 2007 11:35 AM PDT
Ok Leona smile for the camera!
Reply to this comment
by whatithink-2009 August 29, 2007 11:41 AM PDT
Now we know the reason why she evaded paying her taxes.

The pooch''s name should be changed to FICA.

Reply to this comment
by vancouverboo August 29, 2007 11:48 AM PDT
Will the dog have to pay taxes, or have The Rich People provided rich dog loopholes, too?
Reply to this comment
by thejameso August 29, 2007 12:01 PM PDT
have you seen how ugly this b i t c h is?? no wonder she left her $$ to the dog... the poor thing didnt know better.if i were her kids or grandkids i would leave bags of dog poo in her vase at the mosoleum.... this chick sucks
Reply to this comment
by ianlou August 29, 2007 12:07 PM PDT
Just curious, did she pay money for that face?
If so, she should have sued the surgeon.
Reply to this comment
by pam1sadge August 29, 2007 12:08 PM PDT
The two "left out" grandchildren probably wouldn''t kiss her a$$ so she''s teaching them a lesson! She sounds very controlling and even demands that the other two grandchildren visit their father''s grave at least once each year or they will lose the $5 million she left them. What kind of BS is that?
Reply to this comment
by ianlou August 29, 2007 12:15 PM PDT
Can you imagine future family get-togethers with these four kids? The haves and the have-nots.

If they were smart, the haves would split their money with the have-nots.
Reply to this comment
by michellem99-2009 August 29, 2007 12:20 PM PDT
Another self centred person gone.
Another greedy person gone.
Another me,myself and I person gone.
Another not a plain jane person gone.
Another scare the birds away person gone.
Another too scared to get her hands dirty, person gone.
Another dog who got money over family living a life of pampering.
Another......
Verse by Michelle aka Barbara.
Reply to this comment
by hypnotoad72 August 29, 2007 12:42 PM PDT
I could say something really scathing right now. But I won''t. Let her rest in peace.

But I''ll have my piece since she was such a mean person and prided herself as a queen for being so: Maybe she related to the dog more than she could for anybody else.

Reply to this comment
by hdinsight August 29, 2007 12:52 PM PDT
Let''s just hope that her dog knows enough to report this $12 million inheritance on his 1040. I''d hate to see Trouble go to the pound for tax evasion.
Reply to this comment
by gkc99 August 29, 2007 1:11 PM PDT
Maybe the two left-out grandkids can be sure to leave some body fluids on the mausoleum at least once a year.
Reply to this comment
by dzfromsc August 29, 2007 1:24 PM PDT
I didn''t know you could leave money to dogs...can I put my car in my cat''s name so I can get a better insurance rate? How about a credit card for my dog?

I think she can leave the money to any human she desires but she should have left some to her family unless she has a really good reason. In that case, the two who received nothing should have the right to know that reason.
Only a b**** would leave the money to a b****.

BIG QUESTION: Are the two left out going to be able to contest the will?
Reply to this comment
by cdfoxtrot August 29, 2007 1:29 PM PDT
Anyone who leaves part of their estate to their companion friend cannot be all bad. Leona got a terrible rap in the media, so I''m glad to see her doing this for her canine friend. May she rest in peace.
Reply to this comment
by truthspeake2 August 29, 2007 1:49 PM PDT
Another A$$wipe bites the dust...
Reply to this comment
by sal567 August 29, 2007 1:54 PM PDT
She left her money to the dog because she was a b*tch, that''s all. This is one instance where it''s better to be an animal than a person. What''s becoming of our world?
Reply to this comment
by shanev137 August 29, 2007 2:03 PM PDT
The abyss obviously looked deep into Leona.
Reply to this comment
by kaviz August 29, 2007 2:07 PM PDT
I have a suggestion. Give that 12 mill. trust fund to me and Gunownerdan and we will make sure nobody including the press ever get near or see that dog for as long as we live.
Reply to this comment
by jsshackel August 29, 2007 2:18 PM PDT
She should have left the 12 mil to Michael Vick. The poor guy''s spending a fortune on legal fees, the Falcons will no doubt go after as much of the signing bonus as they can get, he will probably never play pro ball again, his homie entourage has no doubt abandoned him, and he has to start all over buying and training dogs. What a goofy world, and one less goofy person in it.
Reply to this comment
by rushman71 August 29, 2007 2:22 PM PDT
I feel sad for those people. Having a b itch (grandma) whose love went only to a b itch (dog), waisting 12 million smackeroos on a b itch!!! Guess what, lady, your dog is nothing more than a rich b itch!!!
Reply to this comment
by hadenufff August 29, 2007 2:27 PM PDT
When are the people of this country going to get fed up with paying for every stinking ridiculas program that the dems can think up? This is going way beyond becoming a nanny state. Hillary is just a communist in disguise and won''t be happy until her and her man are back in control. If that happens watch your paycheck dwindle even more because our taxes will go through the roof!
Reply to this comment
by iceman_1960 August 29, 2007 2:29 PM PDT
"Leona Helmsley Leaves $12M To Her Dog - Will Of Late New York Hotel Queen Leaves Nothing To Two Grandchildren"

Tell me this isn''t going to be contested in court...

I didn''t even think it was legal in the United States to leave vast fortunes to one''s pets.
Reply to this comment
by iceman_1960 August 29, 2007 2:32 PM PDT
"I direct that when my dog, Trouble, dies, her remains shall be buried next to my remains in the Helmsley mausoleum," Helmsley wrote in her will."

So who gets the cash when Trouble dies ?

If I were that pooch, I''d be watching my back.
Reply to this comment
by shanev137 August 29, 2007 2:58 PM PDT
So who gets the cash when Trouble dies ?
------------

She said that when Trouble dies, all the cash is to be burned. She said, "It''s better to burn all that cash, than use it to help any stupid poor people".
Reply to this comment
by tnt1954 August 29, 2007 3:06 PM PDT
like most self-made billionaires, she never
had a mother or father, thought she was god,
made herself out of nothing, and stole
everything she got, because she is the reigning
god of the universe. her rules are backed
up by murder, extortion and bribery. do as
she say or be killled. her organized crime
ring did a good job, of hustling their way
into billions. but she''s not sicilian so
it doesn''t count. only sicilians are organized
crime figures. i thought organized crime
was an equal opportunity employer.
Reply to this comment
by kristi101-2009 August 29, 2007 3:11 PM PDT
, "It''''s better to burn all that cash, than use it to help any stupid poor people".

Poor kids in the world are suffering while this lady''s dog, gets 12 million which could better so many needy children in this world. "The queen of mean" they say, well there right. That''s pretty hateful.

This lady had issues.
Reply to this comment
by talkingham August 29, 2007 3:18 PM PDT
what a be-hatch!
Reply to this comment
by tnt1954 August 29, 2007 3:26 PM PDT
i''m in tears, sniffles, the famous chief of
the famous chick gang the black widows is
dead? i don''t believe it, she must have
faked her death for the life insurance.
Reply to this comment
by rafterman1 August 29, 2007 3:27 PM PDT
I gotta believe there are laws concerning leaving money in wills to odd beneficies like animals. I can''t believe the money would just sit in limbo.

Reply to this comment
by toie1 August 29, 2007 3:51 PM PDT
What the holey h.ell does Hillary Clinton have to do with this crazy old woman''s money????? Is your son in Iraq fighting, mine is.....
Reply to this comment
by toie1 August 29, 2007 3:52 PM PDT
What the holey h.ell does Hillary Clinton have to do with this crazy old woman''s money????? Is your son in Iraq fighting, mine is.....
Reply to this comment
by toie1 August 29, 2007 3:52 PM PDT
What the holey h.ell does Hillary Clinton have to do with this crazy old woman''s money????? Is your son in Iraq fighting, mine is.....
Reply to this comment
by ianlou August 29, 2007 4:06 PM PDT
I hear the dog is about to go on a around the world cruise - he might want to skip visiting Korea.
Reply to this comment
by jn122736 August 29, 2007 4:10 PM PDT
I suspect she is going to have a lot of trouble getting through the eye of that needle
Reply to this comment
by soldat44 August 29, 2007 4:12 PM PDT
I suspect she is going to have a lot of trouble getting through the eye of that needle
Posted by jn122736 at 04:10 PM : Aug 29, 2007

Amen to that...
Reply to this comment
by libsluvsuvs August 29, 2007 4:16 PM PDT
I think it would be the best thing for the other 2 grandchildren. Its time for them to learn real life and how to live it without EXCESS.

I rather work for my money and be happy away from the insanity this money had created and WILL CREATE
Reply to this comment
by infidel_us August 29, 2007 4:17 PM PDT
I hear the dog is about to go on a around the world cruise - he might want to skip visiting Korea.
Posted by ianlou at 04:06 PM : Aug 29, 2007

LOL.... :)

Wonder if the dog is going to have to pay taxes on the $$$? If he knocks up a neighbor''s dog, would he have to pay puppy support?
Reply to this comment
by mgpm-2009 August 29, 2007 4:18 PM PDT
I wish she was still alive so I could kick her in the shins. What a hateful, controlling woman.

12 mil to a dog. If I were a judge I''d deem her of unsound mind and split the money between all the grandchildren.
Reply to this comment
by libsluvsuvs August 29, 2007 4:21 PM PDT
What the holey h.ell does Hillary Clinton have to do with this crazy old woman''''s money????? Is your son in Iraq fighting, mine is.....
Posted by Toie1 at 03:51 PM : Aug 29, 2007
+ report abuse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
********

They both share the same passion..(since you asked)

thank you for your sacrifice, hope none of those clinton zombies spit at your son when he rotates around the globe
Reply to this comment
by libsluvsuvs August 29, 2007 4:24 PM PDT
Wonder if the dog is going to have to pay taxes on the $$$? If he knocks up a neighbor''''s dog, would he have to pay puppy support?
Posted by infidel_us at 04:17 PM : Aug 29, 2007
+ report abuse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*****

that trust will be broke in a year. (maybe less) that would depend on the type of vampires this ex-head vampire hired..chances are..they are the vicious types. I would not be surpised if they already have 3 to 4 look-a-likes dogs (just in case)
Reply to this comment
See all 65 Comments
  • MOST POPULAR
  • Viewed
  • Commented
Latest News
Featured Blogs