Celebrities Are Dropping Like Flies, But I Wonder...

@porwest (106556)
United States
August 5, 2025 8:10am CST
Okay. I'm a money guy. Real shocker, I know, right? So, of course, there are many things that I view from a money angle, even if that angle in some situations seems rather out of place. But I am curious, you know. There's always a money angle to things, isn't there? So, we've got a lot of celebrities kicking off lately. And that's no surprise, really. I mean, so many are very old, in their 80s and 90s, and people don't live forever of course. These are the "first" of the baby boomer generation, many of them. This was a period between 1946 and 1964 when roughly 76 million babies were born. Of course, where you have celebrity, you also have money. And when a celebrity dies, much of that money will be transferred in one way or another. Not all of it will go to death taxes. A lot of it will be passed down. Hulk Hogan was worth $25 million. Loni Anderson was worth $12 million. Brian Wilson was worth $100 million. Ozzy Osbourne was worth $220 million. Chuck Mangione was worth $10 million. Connie Francis was worth $25 million. Bobby Sherman was worth $8 million. George Wendt was worth $10 million. Ruth Buzzi was worth $22 million. Wink Martindale was worth $20 million. Even with just this short list, and there were countless others who we lost this year alone, this accounts for $452 million. Let's not forget the aging Forbe's richest list of prominent business people as well and the billions of dollars of transferable wealth that amounts to. Needless to say, inheritances will be ubiquitous for several years to come. The money has to go somewhere, and my thought is, many of the recipients will not be as tight with their money as perhaps the people who earned it were. It will be spent. The question is how, and on what? At what percentage and at what rate of spend? What are the economic impacts of this rush of spendable cash? How will it affect earnings reports for businesses? Inflation? Is it a "backdoor" cache of wealth, long stored, that will now be a newfound spur for a new wave of economic boom? Like I said, I'm a money guy, and so these things occur to me. I find it fascinating. I know the money has to go somewhere. A lot of it won't just sit. And of course, I want to find out whatever areas where it might go and determine how I can cash in on my own little slice of that. Because let's face it, morbid though it might be, it's also the reality, there's going to be a lot of money moving around over the next few years.
10 people like this
10 responses
@rebelann (114514)
• El Paso, Texas
5 Aug
Plus, how many relatives does each one have that will get a piece of that pie, that probably makes it possible that none of their relatives will be as rich as the person who passed when all is said and done.
2 people like this
@rebelann (114514)
• El Paso, Texas
5 Aug
What about those celebrities who leave all their wealth to charities, does that too affect the economy?
1 person likes this
@porwest (106556)
• United States
6 Aug
@rebelann In a sense it does, yes. Because those charities are required to spend the donated money. They can't make a profit and there are requirements about the spending. So, the money donated will go somewhere ultimately. To whatever the cause is, the administrative costs of running the charity, salaries for the people who run the charity and so on and so forth.
1 person likes this
@porwest (106556)
• United States
5 Aug
In the end, for this scenario, it doesn't matter who gets what. It matters that the money is spent and poured into the economy. This is more about the transfer of wealth to the government, to businesses, to investors who invest in the businesses where the money will be spent, how that may impact economic growth that will create more jobs and so on and so forth. I brought inflation into the equation in the text of the discussion as well, because it's always a factor to consider when more money is being spent in the real economy. So, it's definitely not something to overlook. Much of this money has been tied up with the celebrities and businesspeople for a long time, being held. As it gets transferred, it's more likely those who it will be transferred to will not hold it as tightly. More of this wealth being spent means more of this wealth will also be transferred beyond just those who are sitting at the table when the will is read.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (50312)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
5 Aug
Well, considering a lot of that money is just "on paper" it's not going anywhere in a hurry. I mean, I could have a line of credit of $100,000 but that doesn't mean my "estate" would see any of that when I finally kick off, 34 years from now.
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (50312)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
5 Aug
@porwest I realise all that.
2 people like this
@porwest (106556)
• United States
6 Aug
@BarBaraPrz Your comment suggested you didn't, which was why I provided the response I did. lol
@porwest (106556)
• United States
5 Aug
Paper can be easily converted, and if someone wants to convert it, they will. Many business people keep their money on paper, but that's because they want to maintain the wealth that's tied to their businesses. But when someone inherits that paper? They are more interested in spending its worth. As for a "line of credit," that's not real money, and therefore, not something transferable. A line of credit does not belong to you. Shares of stock or money in the bank does.
1 person likes this
@rakski (147577)
• Philippines
6 Aug
When people suddenly have more cash to spend, whether it's from inheritances, retirement payouts, or old savings finally being used, it creates a ripple effect in the economy. That money could go into shopping, travel, home repairs, investing in stocks, or starting businesses. And when enough people are doing that at the same time, it can really shake things up.
1 person likes this
@porwest (106556)
• United States
10 Aug
Yep. And this seems like it will be a heap of old cash finally hitting the economy. It will be entirely fascinating to see what kind of ripple effect that may actually have.
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@rakski (147577)
• Philippines
10 Aug
1 person likes this
• Torrington, Connecticut
5 Aug
They cant take it with them when they go, were are gonna die eventually, rich, poor, fat skinny
1 person likes this
• Torrington, Connecticut
5 Aug
@porwest That's a great question
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@porwest (106556)
• United States
5 Aug
@BACONSTRIPSXXX Especially when you are an investor. lol
1 person likes this
@porwest (106556)
• United States
5 Aug
Exactly. But of course, that's my point. It's what they are leaving behind that someone else will invariably spend away. I want to know where that's going to go. Inherited money is not held onto as tightly as earned money is.
1 person likes this
@Traceyjayne (4698)
• United Kingdom
5 Aug
I don’t know how the spend will change business or inflation as I’m not as clued up as you are ….i just think that a lot of the celebrity families may not be used to wealth and will not spend wisely. That said with the figures you mention it would be hard to spend enough to make much of a difference in their new bank balances ….im assuming they will get interest too.
2 people like this
@2ndchances24 (10828)
• Cloverdale, Indiana
5 Aug
I don't really think it's going to effect any 1 where the $ goes cause you know that MOST of it ends in the Gove hands & who ever it was willed to then every 1 else in the mix.
2 people like this
@porwest (106556)
• United States
5 Aug
Yeah, but it also has to be spent in stores and on things. So, from that perspective, one can invest in those businesses where the money goes and get a piece of it, which was what I was suggesting.
1 person likes this
@cherigucchi (15807)
• Philippines
5 Aug
I am not really up to date when it comes to foreign celebrities passing. But I heard a lot about Hulk Hogan.
1 person likes this
@porwest (106556)
• United States
5 Aug
I would imagine many of them are well known in the Philippines.
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@cherigucchi (15807)
• Philippines
8 Aug
@porwest That is correct
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@RasmaSandra (88476)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
5 Aug
Since they could not take it with them it must be floating around somewhere,
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@porwest (106556)
• United States
6 Aug
Yeah. It will be floating into the hands of their friends and relatives, and they will likely spend it. lol
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@LindaOHio (199281)
• United States
6 Aug
Well put. My "wealth" will be passed on to the cousins and several charities. I'm sure there will be a lot of dollars going back into the economy.
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@porwest (106556)
• United States
10 Aug
Invariably. lol
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@Soobinah (156)
7 Aug
they earned it, they worked hard for it, to have wealth and of course to have power so its up to them on how they would spend it and to whom they would give it. but on the other side, if they keep on keeping it, then the money will not circulate well, so it affects our economy too.
1 person likes this
@porwest (106556)
• United States
7 Aug
Which is why the inheritors will spend it and this could likely pose a boost to the economy.