Here's Who Inherited Leonard Nimoy's Money After He Died

On February 27, 2015, the world of sci-fi was dealt a devastating blow when Leonard Nimoy of "Star Trek" fame died at the age of 83. The actor was diagnosed with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) many years ago, according to the CDC, which by his own admission certainly stemmed from his lifelong smoking addiction. Nimoy began his entertainment career during his time as an army reservist via the Special Services, a branch of the military responsible for entertainment (via Military). 

Once he left after attaining the rank of staff sergeant, he struggled between acting and non-acting jobs such as driving taxis (a career which led him to briefly meet then-Senator John F. Kennedy, per Upriser) before he found his big break in 1965 as Spock. This role propelled the actor to international fame that lasted his entire lifetime, and left the star with a sizable estate by the time of his last film.

Leonard Nimoy died with a net worth of $45 million (via The Richest). Among the potential inheritors of his wealth are two children from his first marriage, Adam and Julie, and his second wife Susan Bay (his ex-wife having died in 2011). Per their respective accounts, there was no long-standing animosity in their relationships with Nimoy (though Adam admitted that it was could be strained at times, per Wired), and so it is unlikely that he would have left them out of his will due to any sort of estrangement.

That being said, in life, Nimoy was no stranger to making massive donations, as indicated in 2001 when he donated $1 million to California's Griffith Observatory. He also donated to the American Cancer Society and American Foundation for Equal Rights, as well as start the Nimoy Foundation in 2003 in order to provide grants for the fine arts (via Look to the Stars). Given both the dedication to his career and his ultimate cause of death, it is possible that any of these causes were included in his final will.