emesem said:

Per TMZ. No will (not surprising). Also Tyka does not get it all. She has to share with half-bros and sisters. Also children of deceased siblings have claim.

These things never go well. Damn shame he didnt stay married or have a kid.

If he stayed married, could have been worse. Would you prefer a "Yoko" in charge of everything?

KoolEaze said:

PurpleColossus said:

I just cannot imagine Prince not having a will...When he was with Mayte that seemed like the most logical time he would have made one. Obviously it would have been changed after he divorced Mayte and then Mani..Heaven forbid anything happened to him in back then, but would he have risked having a bunch of lawyers and vultures trying to get as much money as they could? Anyone have any ideas on why he would not have a will?

No idea.

But...considering that he claimed to be celibate and single, and did not have that many people around him other than the usual entourage, who do you think would benefit from a will ?

.

He still had friends. He could have left $1000 to this one or that one. Give a few bucks to Sheila or anyone else who he liked. Instead that money goes to some brother of his who he had absolutely no relationship with. There's no way one can say that he didn't screw up with this lack of will decision.

FunkiestOne said:

Leaving no will may have been his decision. He was famously exacting, coy, and confounding. If I put on a Prince hat it's no stretch for me to imagine he saw leaving a will as something "we" needed, but conflicted with his principles. If he died with no immediate family, how is inheriting his legacy NOT a lottery? Doesn't the bible frown on lotteries? Remember "face down" lyrics in the 90s? He was absolutely willing to let "Prince" go down a "washed up singer" aka legacy didn't matter because he was all about the "now". Not my beliefs - just riffing on "Prince" logic.

Above all he was a shrewd at the business of "Prince". Perhaps while he was alive the vault's value (to him) wasn't the music - it was always his BATNA in negotiations, his leverage, control over his freedom. The industry and fans gave him latitude in hopes he would open the vault. Perhaps he felt nobody should have claim to that sort of leverage after he passed. It's a strategic asset for ensuring freedom, not a collection of $.99 downloads. Perhaps he felt if somebody else does manage to make something of it they'll need to earn it... not just have it signed over.
[Edited 5/1/16 6:41am]

SoulAlive said:

I really wish that Prince had been married to a loving,loyal,supportive wife at the time of his death....and maybe a few (adopted?) children too.Seems like he needed a strong family,especially during these last few years.It also would have been better to have his own family (wife and children) in charge of his estate right now.

I agree...my only regret is that he doesnt have a living child. So sad.