Kirk Douglas snubs son Michael and other children, donates most of his $80M fortune to charity
Kirk Douglas has always been known to be an extremely charitable man and it appears that he has carried on his legacy even after death. Kirk had promised to leave his $80M fortune to charity post his death and a majority of it will be distributed through the Douglas Foundation.
Douglas had shared in a 2015 interview, "My wife is very smart. Fifty years ago she set up a trust, and it's been growing ever since. So recently (in 2012) I said, 'How much money do we have in that?' And she said, '$80 million.' I said, 'What?!'"
As reported by the Hollywood Reporter, his wife Anne Buydens shared, "He said, 'I want to give it away.' And that's exactly what's happening." At the same time, the article had also revealed that the pair had already signed $50million to be shared across the Douglas Foundation that hopes to 'help those who cannot otherwise help themselves'.
Kirk seemingly snubbed his son Michael by leaving a bulk of his $80 million fortune to charity. Not like Michael would need any of his father's fortune, considering he has a net worth of $278 million.
A few of the recipients of the money include the St Lawrence University who fund scholarships for minority and underprivileged students, Culver City's Kirk Douglas Theatre which is an old theatre restored and renovated as a live performance venue and Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
Post Douglas' death on February 5, his son Michael Douglas had released a statement that read, "It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103. To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to."
"Kirk's life was well-lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come, and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet," the statement had read.
Douglas was nominated for three Academy Awards during his career and was also presented with an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement in 1998 as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1981.