Who inherited the £5million fortune Jimi Hendrix left in his will

Jimi Hendrix, considered by many the best guitarist of all time died too soon at the age of 27 back in 1970. At the time, the artist had fortune of £5million. Without a wife or children recognized when he died, Hendrix’s inheritance was disputed among family members.

Jimi Hendrix inheritance

Hendrix’s father James Allen Hendrix inherited the money and when he died, he left a will to divide the money between children and grandchildren. However, his other son Leon Hendrix was left only a golden record of his brother’s.

In an interview with Express.co.uk in 2017, Leon said: “My dad was going to leave me $25million in a trust fund he named ‘Bodacious’. His nickname for me as a kid. But in his final years my dad signed papers and I was cut out of the will.”

Al died in 2002, with control of the Hendrix estate and its fortune going to Al’s adopted stepdaughter Janie, who was just nine when Jimi died. Leon sued to have his father’s original will reinstated, claiming Janie had exerted undue influence on Al. But her control of the estate was upheld by a judge in 2004. With Janie claiming Leon’s drug use and petty crime had been the reason for Al’s decision.

Leon won the rights to Hendrix likeness and image 3 years after. He continues to fight for more money from his brother’s estate.

Hendrix’s sons

The Swedish singer James Sundquist made claims that he was a illegitimate son of Hendrix. The musician sued the estate for inheritance in 1994 after he was declared legally to be Hendrix’s son in 1975 by Swedish courts.

Also a woman called Tamika Hendrix also tried to get a share of the money. She was an alleged illegitimate Hendrix’s daughter. However, no paternity test was been taken out and the inheritance was denied in 1972.

In addition, the guitarist has become one of the celebrities with the highest income after death. His estate ends up being at around £130million due to the continued sales, similar to contemporaries like David Bowie who had a 50-year career.