Highlights
- Bing Crosby amassed a massive net worth during his career as a singer and actor, totaling $50 million adjusted for inflation at the time of his death.
- Crosby's will specified that his seven children would inherit his fortune, but the funds were placed in a blind trust until they reached the age of 65.
- Despite his financial success, Crosby had a harsh relationship with his children, as revealed by his own admission and later memoirs published by his son. Tragically, many of his children died young, before they could fully enjoy their inheritance.
Dominating both the silver screen and music charts. Bing Crosby etched his name in history as one of the most cherished entertainers of the 20th century. The now-deceased legend boasts of a plethora of accolades, including an impressive trio of stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a Best Actor Academy Award, and a Grammy Global Achievement Award. But Crosby's rewards weren't confined to acclaim alone; his illustrious career was also marked by substantial financial windfall.
As the curtains closed on his life, speculation loomed regarding the fate of his fortune, which was reportedly expected to be divvied up per the provisions of his living will. With the details of the will still veiled in secrecy, one tantalizing question remains: What portion, if any, of Bing Crosby's substantial net worth did his seven children inherit?
Bing Crosby Had Amassed A Massive Net Worth Before His Tragic Death
Despite rising to fame in the 1920s, Bing Crosby's net worth stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the most prolific contemporary entertainers. Bursting into the scene as a crooner in the 1920s, the now deceased father of seven went on to record over 1,600 songs, including iconic hits like ‘White Christmas’ and ‘Swinging on a Star’.
Among these, ‘White Christmas’ emerged as his magnum opus, widely regarded one of history's best-selling songs, with a staggering 100 million copies circulated worldwide. While the precise extent of Crosby's earnings from this hit remains undisclosed, it's estimated to have yielded a monumental windfall for its composer, Irving Berlin, who raked in an estimated $65 million in royalties.
Beyond his illustrious music career, Crosby also helmed some of the most popular radio shows of the 1900s, including NBC’s Kraft Music Hall and Philco Radio Time, with the latter boasting of an impressive 50 million listeners in its heyday.
A man of many talents, Crosby's excellence transitioned seamlessly to the silver screen. At the time of his passing, the renowned crooner had graced over 70 films, including the timeless musical comedy Going My Way, which ultimately earned him the coveted Academy Award for Best Actor.
Though his most popular film, Going My Way was not Crosby’s sole box office and critical masterpiece. The now deceased entertainment legend dominated the box office between 1944 and 1948 with hits like The Bells of St. Mary’s, Road to Utopia, Blue Skies, and High Society.
His cinematic ventures continued to yield dividends well into the 1970s, further inflating his already massive net worth. By the time he passed away from a sudden heart attack at the age of 74, the father of seven’s net worth stood at a striking $50 million when adjusted for inflation.
How Much Of Bing Crosby’s Net Worth Did His Kids Inherit?
With such an eye-watering net worth, fans must wonder just how much of Bing Crosby's fortune found its way to his seven children in the aftermath of his passing.
Per The New York Times, the pop music luminary had set up a living trust a mere four months before his death, which specified exactly how he wanted his massive estate divvied up. According to the outlet, the crooner willed his personal belongings, alongside a generous cash gift of $150,000 to his widow, Kathryn.
The will also specified that an additional $100,000 in cash would be divvied up equally between Gonzaga High School and Gonzaga University, both of which Crosby attended. Yet another gracious sum of $5,000 would go to St. Aloysius Catholic Church, a religious establishment in Crosby’s hometown of Spokane. In addition, an array of gifts ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 would be bestowed on several of his close relations and acquaintances, including a sister, a cousin, four nieces, and four long-standing business associates.
According to the outlet, the private will also contained provisions for Crosby’s seven children, including the quartet of sons from his first marriage to the late Dixie Lee and his two sons and a daughter arising from his union with Kathryn.
However, the inheritance was to be housed within a blind trust, effectively placing the funds beyond the grasp of his sons until they reached the age of 65– a measure perhaps necessitated by their well-documented youthful escapades.
Did Bing Crosby Have A Good Relationship With His Kids?
As it turns out, beneath the box office triumphs and accolades, Bing Crosby was a harsh disciplinarian who didn't tolerate any form of misbehavior from his kids. “I used to. I used to whack them pretty good [with] a hairbrush, oh sure,” he admitted to Barbara Walters in an interview filmed just months prior to his tragic death.
“Up until the time they're ten or 12 - otherwise, they hit you back," he continued, adding, "But you don't have to do that, they seem to feel bad when they do something wrong."
The tragic nature of Crosby's relationship with his children became even more apparent just a few years after his death, when his son, Gary, published a memoir detailing the gruesome abuse he had endured at the hands of his father. “My father would come home at 6 o'clock and by 6:05 he'd heard the news of what I'd done,” he said. “Then I'd get bent over and by pants taken down and beat till I bled.”
Adding to the tragedy is the fact that none of the children born from his partnership with Dixie Lee had the opportunity to savor their inheritance, with their lives concluding either just before or shortly after reaching the age of 65.
The first to bid adieu was Lindsay, succumbing to self-inflicted gunshot wounds in 1989 at just 51. Mere years later, tragedy struck again, this time claiming the life of Dennis Crosby, who also died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds at just 56.
The final two offspring born of the union between Dixie Lee and Bing Crosby, Gary and Phillip, also met tragic ends, with Gary losing his life to lung cancer at just 62, and Phillip meeting his end via a heart attack at 69. However, all might not be lost for Crosby’s remaining kids, with the oldest, Harry Lillis Crosby III, having recently crossed the threshold specified by Crosby's private will.