The anniversary of James Brown’s death passed on Christmas.
The icon died in 2006, and some drama surrounding his estate erupted after. According to a new report, it’s finally settled.
According to Vibe, “For approximately $90 million, Primary Wave Music has purchased the assets of the late singer’s estate, including music rights, real estate, and control over Brown’s name and likeness. Russell L. Bauknight, the estate’s executor since 2009, stated the money will endow Brown’s scholarship trust in perpetuity. He will continue to work with Primary Wave as a board member, managing some of Brown’s assets.”
Therefore, only James Brown’s grandchildren and the scholarships are the beneficiaries of his estate. This leaves his grandchildren with an estimated $2 million, and the trust will receive the bulk of what is left. The scholarship trust will help kids in South Carolina, where Brown was born.
Mestel, founder of Primary Wave, also owns Whitney and Prince’s estates, the article reports. Primary Wave said,
“James Brown was one of the greatest musical entertainers of all time, and one of the greatest legends of the music business,” Larry Mestel, the company’s founder, said to the Times. “That fits what we do like a glove.”
Brown’s will stated he wanted his money to underprivileged students in South Carolina and Georgia. However, his wife, Tommie Rae Hynie, fought in court to allocate funds to her and their five children. This Is 50 points out; ultimately, in 2020, it was ruled that since she never annulled her previous marriage, Tommie wasn’t legally married to James. She was still married to Javed Ahmed.
Brown filed for an annulment in 2004 after finding out. However, the publication reports that Tommie claims her first husband had three other wives in Pakistan and felt her earlier marriage was voided.
Brown passed away at age 73 of congestive heart failure.