Who Did Betty White Leave Her Fortune To?

Following the death of Betty White, it was reported that the actress had left her fortune to her pets and many animal charities, which she had advocated for while alive, and not to her three step-children from her marriage to Allen Ludden.

However, many still suspect that she might have also left something for each of her step-children as she did not have a biological child to inherit her wealth but all this is left for her attorney to reveal at the right time.

How Much was Betty White Worth?

Betty White, through the decades of her career as an actress, was able to amass a huge sum of net worth estimated to be $75 million, which includes $10 million in real estate property. Her source of income was from her acting career, as she appeared both on television and on the big screen. For a career which she began at the age of eight, The legendary actress has made quite a fortune for herself.

Major Sources of Betty White’s Net Worth

Betty White’s net worth was mainly gotten from her shows like The Golden Girls and Hot in Cleveland.

The Golden Girls (1985-1992)

The Golden Girls is an NBC TV show that featured Betty White as Rose Nylund. The late thespian starred in the TV series for seven seasons from September 14th, 1985, to May 9th, 1992. The show, which starred other prominent actors like Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, and Estelle Getty, had a storyline that revolved around four older women (three widows and one divorcee) who shared a house in Miami.

Her role in the TV series got her nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for all seven seasons of The Golden Girls – and she won one of the nominations. She was also nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for The Golden Girls from 1986 – 1989.

Betty’s salary while on The Golden Girls was reported to be $3 million per year. This means that at the time the show ended in 1992, she has made a total of $87 million from the show. Reports suggest that Betty White earned royalties from the show even after the show ended till she passed away in 2021. However, we cannot ascertain how much she actually earned during this period.

Hot In Cleveland (2010-2015)

In the TV series Hot In Cleveland, Betty White was featured in six seasons and 128 episodes from June 16, 2010, to June 3, 2015. Betty portrayed the character of Elka Ostrovsky, who was a caretaker that lived in the guest house of the home where the other three main characters, Melaine Hope Moretti, Rejoyla “Joy” Scroggs, and Victoria Chase, lived in Cleveland, Ohio.

As expected, Betty White brought her A game into the series and was nominated for an Emmy Award for Hot in Cleveland under the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in the Comedy Series in 2011.

She made $75,000 per episode of the TV series, and since Betty featured in the 128 episodes, the total amount she made from the series was around $9.6 million for all six seasons of the show in which she featured.

The actress also made reasonable income from other shows such as Boston Legal, The Carol Burnett Show, The Betty White Show, The Bold and The Beautiful, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, where she got to play the character of Sue Ann Nivens. She also earned income from movies which she featured in like The Proposal and she also made guest appearances on TV shows like Saturday Night Live, where she also got nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a comedy series in 2010. However, no figure has been put on the amount she earned from these appearances.

Betty White Owned Two Magnificent Estates

Betty White, upon her demise, had two estates worth millions located in different areas with great views. The first estate, the Ocean Front Estate in California, is a magnificent building designed by Architect Richard Hicks. The house has 4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, and 3621 square feet home which offers panoramic ocean views of the Point Lobos Nature Reserve, Ribera Beach, and Monastery Beach, which can be viewed from almost every room which is tied together by a set of exterior steps that wind up one side of the side.

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The second of her estate is located in Carmel, California. The edifice was built by Betty White and her third husband, Allen Ludden. The building consists of 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, and 3,029 square feet. It also has a backyard with an in-ground swimming pool, and from the location of the house, one can enjoy views of mountains and the famous Getty museum.

Who Did Betty White Leave Her Money To?

It has been said that The Golden Girl’s actress left all her estates to her pets and animal charities since she did not have any legal heir that is to inherit all her wealth and legacy. However, there is the possibility that her step-children might still be getting something from her fortune too.

The legendary actress passed away at the age of 99 on the morning of December 31st, 2021, which was just a few days away from her celebrating her 100th birthday. She passed on in her sleep at her home located in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles after she suffered a stroke on Christmas day. Her remains were cremated and given to Glenn Kaplan, who was entrusted with carrying out her advanced health care directive.

In her three marriages, including her last marriage to Allen Ludden, Betty White did not have her own biological children rather she inherited three step-children from Allen Ludden’s marriage to Margaret McGloin Ludden who died from stomach cancer on June 9, 1981, in Los Angeles. Betty became stepmother to Ludden’s three children named Martha Ludden, Sarah Ludden, and David Ludden.

Many had speculated she left out her step-kids from her fortune as it is speculated that the veteran Hollywood actress had left a greater portion of her wealth to the animal charities she had advocated for throughout her lifetime as she was a pet lover, but in the end, only her lawyers would be able to state for a fact how she wants her wealth and estates to be shared.

Betty White’s Personal Belongings Will Be Auctioned In September 2022

Information gathered shows that in September 2022, Betty White’s personal belongings would be auctioned. Julien’s Auctions, located in Beverly Hills, announced the three days auction event. Items to be sold include her wardrobe (which includes the gown she wore on the 41st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards), furnishing, artwork, jewelry such as her diamond wedding ring, 14-karat solid gold Adams watch, and household/personal items from her home in Brentwood and Carmel and California.

Betty White’s home in Brentwood, California, which was her home of more than 50 years, was sold for $10.6 million after one month of its being on the market, and also her beach house of over 40 years in Caramel, California – which was sold for $10.775 million which was almost $3 million above its asking price.

Hugo Wright
Hugo Wright
Hugo has extensive professional writing experience and has been writing and editing articles on multiple platforms for several years now. Away from work, he is a football addict who loves to catch up on his favourite pastimes.

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