With an estimated net worth of US$160 million (AU$220 million) thanks to his stint as James Bond โ plus another freshly-inked deal involving Netflix and Rian Johnsonโs forthcoming Knives Out sequels, which will direct a tidy $100 million paycheque his way โ itโs safe to say Daniel Craig has accumulated a decent fortuneโฆ but his children wonโt be enjoying any of it through inheritance.
During an interview published in the latest issue of Candis Magazine (via The Times), the 53-year-old actor revealed his offspring are on track to receive a phat 00-nothing, before describing inheritance as a rather gross concept.
โIsnโt there an old adage that if you die a rich person, youโve failed?โ says Daniel Craig.
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โI think Andrew Carnegie gave away what in todayโs money would be about $11 billion, which shows how rich he was because Iโll bet he kept some of it, too.โ
โI think inheritance is quite distastefulโฆ My philosophy is get rid of it or give it away before you go.โ
Craig currently has two children of his own: 29-year-old daughter Ella Craig from his previous marriage to Fiona Loudon, as well as a 3-year-old daughter with his current wife and fellow actress, Rachel Weisz. Weisz also has a son of her own from a previous relationship with Requiem For A Dream and Black Swan director, Darren Aronofsky.
As fascinating and somewhat contrarian as it may seem, Daniel Craig isnโt exactly the first high-profile figure to deny his children an obscene financial inheritance. Action cinema icon Jackie Chan, for one, has stated his dropkick of a son Jaycee wonโt be copping a single cent of the old U$370 million (AU$511.5 million) fortune, either.
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โIf he is capable, he can make his own money. And if he is not, he will just be wasting mine.โ
Outside of the entertainment industry, the Oracle of Omaha and legendary investor โ Warren Buffett โ intends to direct his US$103.7 billion (AU$143.4 billion) net worth towards philanthropic endeavours instead of his kidsโ pockets. Although we should point out they are in their mid-60s and have already lived pretty full lives.
โAfter much observation of super-wealthy families, hereโs my recommendation: Leave the children enough so that they can do anything, but not enough that they can do nothing,โ Buffett wrote in a note to shareholders.
โIโm delighted that my three children pursue philanthropic efforts that involve both money and time. More important, they are happy that they can be involved in helping others. They have their motherโs genes.โ
Whatever the case, even without any inheritance, being the child of Daniel Craig, Jackie Chan, and Warren Buffett still beats the hell out of working a salt mine. One can only assume what other perks come with the blood relation.
