Leona Helmsley was a hotel heiress who gave the majority of her fortune to her dog and nearly little to her family. She was renowned as a cruel woman, and her dog received the majority of her estate. When she died in 2007, she left a $12 million trust money to her beloved Maltese. Her heirs received very little, if anything, from her estate. Her prior owner would acquire the majority of her shady past.

Leona Helmsley: The Nasty Queen
Leona Helmsley rose to fame in the 1980s, but not for the reasons you may think. Rather, she appeared to represent arrogance and avarice. A hotel heiress who was intimately involved in her husband’s hotel business, even her employees feared her. She was not a family woman; money seemed to be the only thing that mattered to her. That, and Trouble, her white Maltese.

Leona expelled her son’s widow and children from their house after one of her sons, Jay, died, the sole child who came to her side when an intruder nearly murdered her via stabbing. She removed all of the furnishings and everything else inside, alleging that they were Helmsley Estate property and that it was all to repay a $100,000 loan.

Maybe her dog was the only thing she truly loved.
When she died in 2007, she removed two of her grandkids from the trust fund she had established. Trouble, Helmsley’s spoiled maltese, instead received the majority of her trust fund – $12 million to be exact. She then divided her money as follows:

Some millions to her brother Alvin, whom she designated to look after Trouble.
Her late son Jay would leave millions to two of her four grandkids as long as they visit their father’s cemetery once a year.
$3 million to maintain the tomb where she was laid to rest (and also where Trouble was to be eventually buried)
$100,000 to her driver
The proceeds from the sale of the Helmsley properties and belongings (worth billions of dollars) will be donated to the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.

Although a judge lowered the amount left to Trouble, it was still enough to cause one final scandal for the “Queen.” Her children and grandkids, on the other hand, were left with nothing. Apparently, her two grandkids understand why their grandmother did not leave them a single penny.

Her Named Brother Trustee
Alvin, Leona’s brother, was named trustee of her estate and full-time guardian of Trouble, her white Maltese dog. She also named five executors, who were tasked with handling her estate. Helmsley stipulated in her will that Trouble would receive a 12 million dollar bequest in trust following her death. Her brother Alvin was also tasked with finding an appropriate home for Trouble to live and be cared for when she died. He chose a 12,000-square-foot family tomb for Trouble, her spoiled Maltese. Her late son Jay’s grandchildren and her brother Alvin Rosenthal were also mentioned in the will.

What She Made Leona Mindy Roberts Helmsley was an operator, real estate investor, and successful broker with a fortune in the billions. She was the owner of several real estate companies, including residential real estate, co-ops, condos, and apartments. She was also a successful New York City hotelier. When her husband Harry Helmsley died in 1997, he left her his business.

This woman, on the other hand, was not a pleasant woman. She had been married twice before marrying Harry, and she was as ruthless as they come. She rose to prominence after starring in Helmsley hotels advertising. Whilst she was nice to look at, she was probably the polar opposite to work for. Everyone at Helmsley was scared of her. So much so that they devised a type of warning system to notify employees when she was leaving her penthouse and on her way to one of the couple’s numerous hotels.

Leona Helmsley had a reputation for firing individuals coldly whenever she pleased. She was also notoriously imprisoned in the late 1990s for tax evasion and fraud. In her trial, her former housekeeper famously stated that the hotelier once told her, “Only the tiny people pay taxes.” Her sentence required her to pay nearly $8 million in fines and taxes, as well as spend the next two years in prison. The judge ordered her to perform 750 hours of community service upon her release from prison. When they discovered she was having her staff work part of those hours, he ordered her to work 150 more hours. Some people, as the saying goes, “never change.”