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Picasso’s Femme assise près d’une fenêtre (Marie-Thérèse) from 1932 sold for $103.4 million in New York in May 2020

"Only put off until tomorrow what you are WILLING to die having left undone." Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso died without leaving a will

Dividing Pablo Picasso’s estate without a Will was a disaster.  When Picasso died at the age of 91, he left an astounding number of works—more than 45,000 in all. (“We’d have to rent the Empire State Building to house all the works,” Claude Picasso said when the inventory was completed.) There were 1,885 paintings, 1,228 sculptures, 7,089 drawings, 30,000 prints, 150 sketchbooks, and 3,222 ceramic works. There were vast numbers of illustrated books, copperplates, and tapestries. And then there were the two châteaux and three other homes. (Picasso lived in and worked in about 20 places from 1900 to 1973.) According to one person familiar with the estate, there was $4.5 million in cash and $1.3 million in gold. There were also stocks and bonds, the value of which was never made public. In 1980 the Picasso estate was appraised at $250 million, but experts have said the true value was actually in the billions. “The Master” fathered four children with three women. Once again, Picasso did not leave a will. Distributing his assets took years of contentious negotiations between his children and other heirs, such as his wives, mistresses, legitimate children and his illegitimate ones.


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It's shocking how many people don't take the time to plan for how their lifetime of savings will pass when they die.

Understanding Your Estate: Critical Elements of an Estate Strategy

Establishing an estate strategy is crucial, yet many wait too long to put their wishes in writing. Use this helpful guide to review your estate strategy and start conversations with your loved ones, financial professionals, and legal team.

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