Tupac (AP Photo/Frank Wiese, File)/Tom Whalley, Discogs website
There seems to be some misleading information about the estate of the late hip-hop artist and actor’s Tupac. Some believe that music exec Tom Whalley owns the estate. In fact, he is merely the executor of the estate. He doesn’t own the estate; he oversees it.
While beneficiaries can sometimes be named as executors, they are not always. And in this case, it Whalley was not a beneficiary of Tupac’s estate, nor does it seem he was a beneficiary of the estate of Tupac’s mother, Afeni Shukur, who had control of her son’s estate until she died.
And according to some in Tupac‘s family, Whalley isn’t doing a great job in managing the estate. As of 2024, Tupac’s estate is estimated to be worth around $40 million, according to The Richest. However, The Mirror reported the estate was actually worth more than $100 million if combined with a library of unreleased material valued at that amount $100 million.
On Sept. 13, 1996, Tupac Shakur, aged 25, succumbed to injuries from a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. He had global record sales exceeding 75 million. His mother, Afeni Shakur, inherited his estate. When she died in 2016, Whalley, appointed by Afeni in her will, became the executor of her and Tupac’s estates.
Whalley was named trustee of the Afeni Shakur-Davis Separate Property Trust, Grunge reported.
An estate executor is tasked with fulfilling the final wishes of the deceased as outlined in their will. This includes dispersing assets to beneficiaries and managing various aspects of closing the deceased’s affairs, such as settling debts, notifying relevant parties of the death, and filing necessary tax returns. The term “executrix” is outdated and no longer commonly used.
The appointment of an executor typically occurs through the deceased’s will, although in cases where there is no will (intestate), an invalid will, or when the will does not name an executor, a probate court judge will appoint someone, often a close relative, to fulfill the role, Forbes reported.
Compensation for this role is customary.
There has been an ongoing legal battle over Tupac Shakur’s assets. Sekyiwa Shakur, his sister, and the the Tupac Shakur Foundation accused Whalley of mishandling the late rapper’s estate, alleging embezzlement, and lack of transparency.
“He has effectively embezzled millions of dollars for his own benefit,” Sekyiwa wrote in court papers reported Billboard in 2022. “Whalley has unreasonably enriched himself at the expense of the beneficiaries and in bad faith by taking excessive compensation in a position from which he should properly be barred based on the inherent conflict of interest.”
Tupac’s sister claims that Whalley, as the executor of their late mother’s estate, failed to comply fully with a court order to provide a detailed report on the state of the trust. According to her lawyers, Whalley’s actions demonstrate a disregard for transparency and an unwillingness to fulfill his obligations to account for the trust’s assets.
However, Whalley and his attorneys vehemently deny these allegations, asserting that he has always acted in the best interests of the trust and its beneficiaries. They argue that Whalley was appointed by Afeni Shakur herself and has significantly increased the value of the trust, in part through projects like the immersive exhibit “Tupac Shakur: Wake Me When I’m Free.”
Despite conflicting claims, the judge overseeing the case has ordered a full accounting of the trust, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability. Sekyiwa’s lawyers have criticized Whalley’s accounting report for lacking supporting documents and have called for an independent CPA to oversee the review of the trust.
Following Tupac’s passing, Afeni established Amaru Records to manage the distribution of her son’s unreleased tracks. Since then, Amaru Records has launched 11 albums and produced a documentary titled “Tupac: Resurrection” in honor of the late star. The exact inheritance Afeni Shakur received following her son’s passing remains unclear, The U.S. Sun reported. However, according to The Richest, at the time of her death in 2016, she had amassed a net worth of $50 million.
Tupac (AP Photo/Frank Wiese, File)/Tom Whalley, Discogs website, https://www.discogs.com/artist/1364855-Tom-Whalley
