HERE'S WHO INHERITED LUCILLE BALL'S MONEY AFTER SHE DIED
By LESLIE VELIZ
History - Science
Lucille Ball left behind a fortune of $40 million when she died in 1989, which would be split among her second husband, Gary Morton, and her children, Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill and Desi Arnaz Jr. Morton married Susie McAllister seven years after Ball’s death, but the union was short-lived, as he died only three years later, meaning the remainder of the fortune went to McAllister.
A legal battle began between Luckinbill and McAllister when the latter tried auctioning off Ball’s possessions like jewelry, awards, and a Rolls-Royce to pay for her home remodel. Luckinbill threatened legal action, and McAllister responded by filing a suit.
The presiding judge ruled that the auction would be stopped if Luckinbill posted a $250,000 bond — money Lucie did not have — leading the two parties to strike a deal. Mendel Law Firm states that Luckinbill gathered and donated Ball’s awards to a museum, while McAllister sold the items, including the car and love letters, which fetched over $230,000 at a 2010 auction.