What Happened To Betty White’s Fortune After She Died?
By WILLIAM KENNEDY
History - Science
Betty White’s estate wasn’t made public after she died, but she likely left most of her $75 million estate to a trust benefiting animal charities she supported throughout her life.
She supported the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association, American Humane, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Endangered Wolf Center, and BraveHearts Therapeutic Riding and Educational Center.
In 2012, White told Smithsonian Magazine that she got her love of animals from her parents. "Both my mother and father were tremendous animal lovers," she explained.
White added, "They imbued in me the fact that, to me, there isn’t an animal on the planet that I don’t find fascinating and want to learn more about."
White’s passion for animal welfare went so far as to assist with a sea otter surgery at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. When she died, the aquarium honored her on X, formerly Twitter.
Monterey Bay Aquarium posted, "To honor her tireless devotion to animal advocacy work, we are renaming our planned giving program the Betty White Ocean Legacy Circle."
The aquarium added, "Thank you for being a friend to so many, Betty, and for always reminding us that good things happen when we work together to make a difference."
Many of White’s personal items collected over her long Hollywood career were also sold at auction, raising an additional $4 million for animal and environmental causes.