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WILL
 

Marilyn's will main beneficiaries were her mother, Gladys Baker, her half-sister Berniece Miracle, her secretary May Reis, Lee Strasberg and psychiatric institutions or groups elected by Marianne Kris.

 
A sum was paid to finance Patricia Rosten's education, the daughter of her friends Norman and Hedda Rosten, and for the maintenance and support of Xenia Tchekhov, widow of her drama teacher Michael Tchekhov.

 

Marilyn's first will, written in February 1956 divided her possessions (estimated 200 000$) as followed :

     - 100 000$ to Arthur Miller

     - 25 000$ to Lee and Paula Strasberg

     - 20 000$ to Dr Margaret Hohenberg

     - 10 000$ to Xenia Tchekhov

     - 10 000$ to the Actors Studio

     - 10 000$ to the education of Patricia Rosten.

She also left enough money to pay the sanatorium expenses (for a total amount of 25 000$) until Gladys Baker's death.

,

When she married Arthur Miller, in June 1956, she changed her will so that she left everything to her husband, and established a living trust to guarantee her mother's care.

She wrote her last will on January 14th 1961, shortly after having announced her divorce from Arthur Miller, and 3 weeks before entering the Payne Whitney Hospital.

 

Envelope 

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Original of the will

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Some sources maintained that Marilyn thought about changing her will shortly before her death.

After her death, she left her house of Fifth Helena Drive(appraised 60 000$), the furniture, the decoration, her personal property (appraised 3 200$), 2 200$ on her bank accounts and 405$ cash.

Inez Melson contested the last will (in which she didn't appear) in October 1962, asserted that Marilyn had written it while she was under the crippling influence of Lee Strasbergor Marianne Kris. At that time, the possessions were appraised about 1 million $. Judge Samuel DiFalco pronounced a demurrer, but other legal issues appeared, so the legatees received their due almost 10 years after Marilyn's death.

The biggest part of the inheritance (the entire possessions of Marilyn, the rights of "The Prince and the Showgirl", and also the remainder after the execution of all the clauses) went to Lee Strasberg.

When he died in 1974, this inheritance went to his second wife, Anna Strasberg. Lee had married her after Paula's death, in 1966.

It's estimated that Marilyn's succession generates today an income (royalties of her movies and income from her image business) exceeding 1 million $ a year.

The 25% remaining funds the Monroe Young Family Unit at the Tavistock Center, in Daleham Gardens,  London.

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