James Brown’s Estate Still Unsettled

*It’s been 7-years since the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, passed away, but his estate is still unsettled.

The South Carolina Supreme Court has been going back and forth with the estate and family about who gets what. A 2009 settlement was to give nearly half to a charitable trust, a quarter to his
widow, Tomi Rae Hynie, and the rest to be split among his adult children; but this was recently overturned on account of others who believe the deal was not in favor of the late singer’s requests.

From the beginning, the arrangements had been unclear and controversial. The estate’s worth alone had been a point of confusion, where it was estimated to be valued at $5 million to more than $100 million.

Along with the family’s division on how to divvy up the money and honor Brown’s will, the estate’s fate has been on hold for years. To make matters worse, debate about what to do with his body also became an issue among family members, who for more than two months left his body in a gold casket inside a cold storage until he was finally buried in Beech Island, S.C., at the home of one of his daughters.

Though still somewhat confusing, it seems a ruling has been made to adhere more closely the Brown’s original wishes. A staunch advocate for education, it appears the bulk of his fortune will go to educating needy children.