Top 20 RICH Celebrities Who Leave NOTHING To Their Kids

Top 20 Rich Celebrities Who Won’t/Didn’t Leave Anything to Their Kids

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at celebrities (both living and deceased) who decided against leaving their fortunes to their children. Some of these celebs may leave their kids a small piece of the pie, but not a vast majority.

#20: Jeff Goldblum

From “Jurassic Park,” to “Independence Day,” to “Wicked,” Jeff Goldblum has starred in one blockbuster franchise after another, amounting to a reported net worth of roughly $40 million. Goldblum didn’t become a father until recently, having two sons with Olympic rhythmic gymnast Emilie Livingston in 2015 and 2017, respectively. In a 2024 interview, Goldblum said he didn’t see a significant inheritance in his children’s futures, feeling they should “row [their] own boat.” Goldblum views this as a teaching opportunity, wanting his children to discover their passions in life and work to make their dreams a reality. As Golblum put it, “I’m not going to do it for you. And you’re not going to want me to do it for you.”

#19: Andrew Lloyd Webber

This composer redefined musical blockbusters with “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Starlight Express,” and “Cats.” Those three alone have spawned billion-dollar franchises, putting Webber in contention with Paul McCartney as the UK’s wealthiest music artist. That doesn’t mean his kids are set for life. Webber has two children from his first marriage and three from his current one. Before becoming a billionaire, Webber explained in 2008 that he wouldn’t leave his children his then-£750 million fortune. Webber said, “I am not in favor of children suddenly finding a lot of money coming their way because then they have no incentive to work. So I will give them a start in life but they ain’t going to end up owning the Really Useful Group,” his company.

#18: Anderson Cooper

We all recognize this CNN news anchor, but Anderson Cooper comes from a long line of wealthy individuals. His mother was Gloria Vanderbilt, heiress to the Vanderbilt family fortune, which traces back to the Gilded Age. When Gloria Vanderbilt died in 2019, she left Cooper $1.5 million from her estimated $200 million estate. Cooper agreed with his mother that he didn’t need much money, not only because he’s “doing fine,” but because inheritance can be a “curse.” In 2021, after the birth of his first son but before the arrival of his second, Cooper said that he would follow his mother’s example. “I’m not that interested in money,” Cooper said. “I don’t intend to have some sort of pot of gold for my son.”

#17: Ashton Kutcher & Mila Kunis

Although they knew each other through “That '70s Show,” Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis didn’t start dating until well after the sitcom ended. The couple had a daughter shortly before getting married in 2015 with the birth of their son following a year later. Beyond acting, Kutcher has also become a successful businessman. Between Kutcher’s estimated $200 million net worth and Kunis’ net worth of $75 million, this family is living comfortably, but the kids shouldn’t get too cozy. Kutcher said he’d help his children financially if they wanted to start a business and had a solid plan. As far as inheritance goes, though, the couple is putting their money towards charity and other ventures rather than a trust.

#16: Michael Bloomberg

Between his work with the Bloomberg L.P. company, this entrepreneur served three terms as New York’s mayor. Currently worth $104.7 billion, Michael Bloomberg ranks among the 20 richest individuals on the planet. Bloomberg has already donated billions to nonprofits, saying that he wants to “leave a better world for [his] children and grandchildren.” That said, Bloomberg is more interested in funding organizations that’ll benefit the needs of the many rather than just his immediate family. It’s not as if his daughters will be destitute when he’s gone. Youngest Georgina Bloomberg is an equestrian and philanthropist, co-running a charitable foundation with her sister Emma. The elder Bloomberg daughter is also the CEO of Murmuration, a non-profit committed to civic engagement.

#15: Tony Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis has been at the front line of the recent “nepo baby” debate. Although Curtis and her siblings might’ve had certain advantages growing up, their father didn’t always make things easy. When Tony Curtis died in 2010, he left most of his estate to his sixth wife, Jill Vandenberg, with the rest going toward their charity. Shortly before his death, Curtis updated his will, disinheriting all of his children. This came as a complete shock to some of his kids, who thought their father might’ve been manipulated during his final months. They also took issue with Vandenberg auctioning off personal items, leaving little for them to remember their father by. Legal action was taken, but the lawsuit ultimately went nowhere.

#14: Elton John

By the end of his retirement tour in 2024, this musical icon was said to be worth £470 million - more than $600,000. John is married to filmmaker David Furnish, who’s also well-off with $50 million to his name. Together, they have two sons through a surrogate, although John and Furnish know the dangers of giving children a silver spoon. John acknowledged that his boys don’t exactly have “normal” lives, desiring to give them the best childhoods possible. At the same time, he wants them “to have some semblance of normality.” That means having respect for money and work. While John will strive to ensure his kids grow up to be financially stable, he believes a huge inheritance would ruin their lives.

#13: Mark Zuckerberg

Within less than five years of Facebook’s launch, Mark Zuckerberg was the youngest self-made billionaire on the planet. Now in his 40s, Zuckerberg ranks among the ten wealthiest individuals alive with a net worth exceeding $200 billion. With wife Priscilla Chan, Zuckerberg has three daughters. The same month their eldest Max was born, the couple started the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Rather than leave everything to their daughters, Zuckerberg and Chan plan on investing 99% of their Facebook shares into this limited liability company throughout their lives. This was detailed in a letter to their newborn daughter, reading, “Max, we love you and feel a great responsibility to leave the world a better place for you and all children.”

#12: Gordon Ramsay

Despite his hotheaded onscreen personality, many will tell you Gordon Ramsay is a nice guy. His tough love routine isn’t purely an act, however. Just as Ramsay demands a lot from the other chefs in his kitchen, he expects his children to work hard to succeed in life. When discussing his kids in 2017, Ramsay said that his money “definitely” isn’t going to them. Ramsay clarified that he wasn’t being mean. He just doesn’t want to spoil them. When their kids are old enough to live independently, Ramsay and his wife Tana Hutcheson are willing to give a “25% deposit on a flat, but not the whole flat.” Even when your dad is a celebrity chef, you only get so many free meals.

#11: Gene Hackman

When this legendary actor made his will in 1995, he left out his three children. Hackman bequeathed everything to his second wife Betsy Arakawa, but nobody could predict the tragedy that would befall the couple thirty years later. Hackman and Arakawa were discovered dead in their New Mexico home on February 26, 2025. It was deduced that Arakawa died first from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Hackman, who had been living with Alzheimer’s and other medical issues, died almost a week later. Since the couple departed within less than 90 days of each other, the fate of Hackman’s $80 million estate has been called into question. It could potentially go to charity, although some have speculated whether Hackman’s children will be named as heirs.

#10: Barron Hilton

Barron Hilton was the son of Conrad Hilton, who founded Hilton Hotels. Despite his massive success in business and philanthropy, nowadays, when we hear the name Hilton, we tend to think of his granddaughter, Paris. Famous for being the queen of tabloid news at one point, some might argue that she tarnished the Hilton name with her various reality TV and celebrity heiress antics. However, Barron Hilton’s actions reflect a very different view of wealth and status. Like his father Conrad, Barron donated 97% of his wealth to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. The foundation seeks to improve the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people throughout the world.

#9: Gene Simmons

Gene Simmons of Kiss built his fortune through hard work and dedication - and he wants his children to do the same. Coming from a family that he has described as “dirt poor,” his values aren’t that surprising. Speaking with Michael Eisner on his CNBC show, Simmons explained: “What I wanna do is what every bird does in its nest -- it forces the kids to go out there and figure it out for themselves.” Basically, he wants his children to have to fend for themselves a bit, and not be reliant on the mama bird. Or in this case, papa bird. In the same interview, he clarified that they’ll be provided for, but not made rich by his hand.

#8: Warren Buffett

For many people, the dream is to make it big and then pass that wealth on to their children. Multi-billionaire Warren Buffett, however, doesn’t believe that familial ties should dictate who benefits from his fortune. Instead, Warren pledges to give 99% of his money to charity. He’s been quoted as saying, “I'm not an enthusiast for dynastic wealth, particularly when 6 billion others have much poorer hands than we do in life”. If you were one of Warren Buffett’s children, you might be a little frustrated by his logic, but it’s hard not to be impressed by the man’s incredibly honorable choice.

#7: Sean Connery

Sean Connery is known to have come from humble beginnings. He dropped out of school at the age of 13 and worked a variety of odd jobs before joining the Navy. It would seem that, despite his own fame and fortune, Connery strove to give his son Jason a similarly grounded upbringing. According to DailyMail.com, in the 1980s, Jason’s financial situation was so dire that he relied on the charity of other actors. Furthermore, it has been reported that Jason was to receive nothing in Sean Connery’s will. When this reveal sparked gossip, Jason rose to his father’s defense, stating "I honour, respect and love my father and for good reason.”

#6: Sting

Sting, who has achieved worldwide fame for his work with The Police, has said that his children will not be inheriting his money after he passes away. He doesn’t want his money to be something his kids can always depend on saying in an interview with DailyMail: “I certainly don’t want to leave them trust funds that are albatrosses round their necks.” It seems clear that he wants his kids to be able to depend of themselves. On a lighter note, he’s joked that there won’t be any money left because he’ll be spending it all!

#5: Jackie Chan

Over the course of his career, Jackie Chan has proven to be a truly multi-talented individual, applying himself as a stuntman, actor, director and producer, and even a singer! It’s little surprise that he’s amassed a sizeable fortune in the process. What is surprising is the fact that Jackie reportedly intends to donate much of his fortune to charity after he passes away, and once stated that his son would receive nothing. Explaining the decision, as it relates to his son Jaycee, Jackie said in an interview with Channel NewsAsia: “If he is capable, he can make his own money. If he is not, then he will just be wasting my money.”

#4: Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson was born into wealth - her father is Nigel Lord Lawson of Blaby and her mother, Vanessa Salmon was an heiress. Nonetheless, Nigella earned a fortune of her very own through her work as a journalist, broadcaster, food writer, and celebrity chef. Nigella has said that she plans to leave her children out of her will, explaining that she expects her children to be able to earn their own and fend for themselves. On the topic of financial security in an interview with My Weekly magazine, she said: “It ruins people not having to earn money.”

#3: Simon Cowell

Famous around the world for the harshness he has displayed on such television programs as American Idol and X-Factor, Simon Cowell brings some of that stern attitude to his parenting. He has said that he doesn’t plan on giving his fortune to his son after he dies, stating that he doesn’t believe in passing on wealth. When asked in an interview with the Mirror where his money would go, he said, “A charity, probably -- kids and dogs.” Given that his son was only born in 2014, we’ll likely have to wait a while to hear what he thinks about his father’s decision not to give him any of that cash.

#2: George Lucas

After selling his company to Disney for billions of dollars, you’d think Lucas might celebrate by giving his children even a fraction of that astronomical sum, but as of yet, that doesn’t seem to be part of the plan. George Lucas, who you may know as the creator of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, made the “Giving Pledge” in 2010, in which he stated “I am dedicating the majority of my wealth to improving education.” On the topic he said, “As long as I have the resources at my disposal, I will seek to raise the bar for future generations of students of all ages."

#1: Bill Gates

You may know him as the creator of Microsoft, an expert at jumping over chairs, or being the on-and-off richest person in the world! While it’s unlikely you know him personally, he’s almost certainly affected your life in one way or another, and it seems that he plans to use his money to keep influencing people’s lives. Bill Gates is very well known for his philanthropic work, and he and his wife, Melinda, plan to donate 95% of their fortune to charity. On the topic of leaving his children money he has said, “I definitely think leaving kids massive amounts of money is not a favor to them.”


Do you think inheritance is the root of nepotism? Let us know in the comments.