Revealed — Inheritors of Brian Wilson's $100Million Fortune After Family Battled to Place Him Under Conservatorship
Brian Wilson left behind a legacy of musical hits.
June 12 2025, Published 11:46 a.m. ET
Brian Wilson left a legacy of hits before his death Wednesday at the age of 82.
What happens now to the Beach Boys' financial fortune and estate is being closely monitored, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Sad Announcement
He found fame as the lead singer of the Beach Boys.
As RadarOnline.com revealed on Wednesday, the musician's family confirmed his death on Instagram, sharing: "We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away.
"We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy."
Wilson's work defined a generation and brought the California teen sound of the 1960s into mainstream culture through hits including Good Vibrations, Surfin' U.S.A., California Girls, and Wouldn't It Be Nice.
Still a Star
Wilson was still a popular concert draw.
Those songs are still played today and are expected to live in the musical zeitgeist for years to come. At the time of his death, Wilson was worth an estimated $100million.
Most of that unsurprisingly came from his extensive music catalog. According to reports, he was earning approximately $10million a year from royalties.
With the Beach Boys songs still a constant in rotations on streaming platforms like Spotify and SiriusXM, Wilson reportedly pocketed another $15million per year.
Wilson was still a popular live concert draw as well, performing until his dementia diagnosis became too much to bear in 2024. Each concert netted him an estimated $750,000. Finally, his big score came in 2021, when he sold his publishing rights to Universal Music Publishing Group for $50 million, receiving nearly $32 million for his songwriter share and $19 million for reversion rights.
However, his fortunes could have been even greater had his father, Murray, not sold the rights to a majority of his son's songs to Irving Alamo Music in 1969 for just $700,00 dollars.
Final Years
Wilson's family announced his passing on Instagram.
In his final years, Wilson was ravaged by a neurocognitive disorder, and his family made the difficult decision to put him in a conservatorship due to his declining health.
The famed singer-songwriter's battle with dementia had grown so fierce over his last year of life that he was placed under round-the-clock care.
Wilson's family filed a petition in February 2024 to place Wilson under the conservatorship following the death of his wife of 28 years, Melinda, one month before.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, the conservatorship required: "Three full-time caregivers living at his house," as he was not allowed to live "anywhere other than his residence."
Notably, however, the conservatorship did not extend to his finances, and Wilson's assets were secured in a trust with his manager serving as trustee.
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Family Legacy
Wilson was put into a conservatorship after the death of his wife.
That decision will set his survivors up with a financial safety net. Wilson's inheritance is likely to be distributed among his children, with the trust and conservatorship ensuring that his assets are managed in their best interests.
Wilson was married to his first wife, Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford, from 1964 to 1981, and they welcomed two daughters together – Carnie and Wendy.
He was married to his second wife, Melinda Ledbetter, from 1995 until she died in 2024 and had five adopted children – Dakota Rose, Daria Rose, Delanie Rose, Dylan and Dash.
