Tag: Charitable Giving
Celebrity Estates: Jim Thorpe, Native Americans, and the Land Back Movement

Celebrity Estates: Jim Thorpe, Native Americans, and the Land Back Movement

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Jim Thorpe, revered as one of the greatest athletes in American history, exemplifies how personal wishes and legal rights can conflict posthumously. Thorpe’s estranged third wife, Patricia, moved his remains to a town in Pennsylvania, which now bears his name, in a bid to create a tourist attraction, a decision contested by his sons under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990.

David Lenok speaks with Alma Soongi Beck and Professor Jo Carillo about the multifaceted legal landscape surrounding estates involving Native Americans, focusing on Jim Thorpe’s controversial burial. They explore the nuanced issues of land rights, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and the increasing interest in land back movements.

David, Alma, and Jo discuss:

  • The legal battles surrounding Jim Thorpe’s burial controversy and what it symbolizes for Indigenous rights; 
  • The impact and significance of the land back movement on traditional land ownership; 
  • Common pitfalls encountered in estate planning involving Indigenous lands; 
  • Recent trends in charitable giving and how they support Indigenous communities;
  • How tax laws affect charitable giving to Indigenous organizations;

Resources:

Connect With David Lenok:

Connect With Alma Soongi Beck:

Connect With Professor Jo Carillo:

About Our Guests:

Alma Soongi Beck is certified as a specialist in estate planning, trust, and probate law by the State Board of Legal Specialization. Alma’s practice focuses on trusts, charitable planning, gift and estate tax planning, and post-death administration including trust administration and probate. She also offers consultations and seminars on the legal and tax implications of domestic partnership, marriage, and property co-ownership for same-sex and unmarried couples, as well as on the evolution of parentage and gender in estate planning. Alma also advises and presents Land Back to Indigenous Tribes for titleholders, Tribes, and Indigenous nonprofit organizations.

Jo Carrillo JD/JSD is a Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Indigenous Law Center (ILC) at UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings). For over three decades, Carrillo has taught and written extensively in property and property-related subjects, including Federal Indian Law. Carrillo earned her BA from Stanford University, her JD from the University of New Mexico, and her JSD from Stanford Law School. She is a member of the Order of the Coif, the American Law Institute, and a former Trustee of the Law & Society Association; she was a Visiting Scholar at The Center for the Study of Law & Society at UC Berkeley Law, and a Visiting Professor at Stanford Law School. As Faculty Director of the UC Law Indigenous Law Center, in addition to other responsibilities, Carrillo facilitates a seminar series called Law & Seminars.
Celebrity Estates: Simon Cowell and Disinheritance in Estate Planning

Celebrity Estates: Simon Cowell and Disinheritance in Estate Planning

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Simon Cowell, reality star and record producer, has an estimated net value worth of $600 million. How much of that will be left for his son? According to him, nothing.

Listen in as host David Lenok is joined by Thomas Kopelman, head of community at Estate Planning platform wealth.com and co-founder of All Street Wealth. Together, they discuss how Simon plans to handle his $600 million estate and the broader implications of disinheriting heirs. 

Cast your vote toward Simon’s decision as David and Thomas highlight:

  • The rationale behind Simon’s motives for his estate plans
  • “Affluenza”- a supposed psychological condition affecting wealthy individuals
  • Opinions on ‘disinheritance,’ the act of not passing wealth down to future generations
  • Estate planning decisions are personal, reflecting what is important to the individual
  • The importance of supporting children while alive rather than solely through posthumous financial gifts
  • And more

Resources:

Connect With Thomas Kopelman:

Connect With David Lenok:

About Our Guest:

Thomas is a financial planner, the co-founder of AllStreet Wealth, as well as a blogger, podcaster, content creator, Top 23 Millennial Advisor (Business Insider), and a Top Young Advisor to Watch in 2023 (FA Mag)

After graduating from Butler University, Thomas spent his entire career in the financial services industry as a financial planner. Thomas is passionate about helping millennials cut through the noise and figure out how to use their resources to accomplish what they truly want in life. 
Celebrity Estates: Bob Barker and Leaving a Charitable Legacy

Celebrity Estates: Bob Barker and Leaving a Charitable Legacy

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Bob Barker is best known as the beloved host of The Price Is Right, the longest-running game show in American television history.

Barker sadly passed away in August 2023. The majority of his estate was donated to forty different animal and military charities, which was no surprise, given his life as a vegetarian and an outspoken animal rights advocate.

In this episode, David Lenok speaks with David Handler, a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, about adding charitable giving to legacy plans and what should be considered when choosing how to donate. They explore how charitable donations impact beneficiaries from a financial standpoint as well as the tax implications and how that money could be used after donating.

David discusses:

  • Different types of charitable donations; 
  • How charitable donations impact legacy planning for beneficiaries;
  • The tax implications of leaving money to charity;
  • The limitations of directing where donations will be spent within a charity;
  • And more

Resources:

Connect With David Handler:

Connect With David Lenok:

About Our Guest:

David A. Handler is a partner in the Trusts and Estates Practice Group of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He concentrates his practice on trust and estate planning and administration, representing owners of closely-held businesses, family offices, principals of private equity and venture capital funds, individuals and families of significant wealth, and establishing and administering private foundations and other charitable organizations.

David is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), and a member of the NAEPC Estate Planning Hall of Fame as an Accredited Estate Planner (Distinguished). He is the creator or co-creator of the “HEET trust,” the “RPM Trust” and the “Guaranteed GRAT,” among other innovations. David is also a member of the professional advisory committees of several nonprofit organizations, including the Chicago Community Trust, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Goodman Theatre, WTTW11/98.7WFMT (Chicago public broadcasting stations) and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.
Ep 58 – MacKenzie Scott: The Future of Giving?

Ep 58 – MacKenzie Scott: The Future of Giving?

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With a 4% stake in Amazon, MacKenzie Scott, formerly MacKenzie Bezos, is the third wealthiest woman in the United States.

In this episode, David Lenok is joined by Richard Peck, vice president of New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, and Jonathan Gassman, CEO of Gassman Financial Group. Richard and Jonathan discuss how she goes about charitable giving through a personal, philosophical and operational standpoint. They reveal tools and vehicles anyone can use when donating and how you can continue your charitable legacy after you are gone.

Richard and Jonathan discusses:

  • How individuals can make charitable gifts;
  • The importance of having a conversation with clients about their goals;
  • Tools and vehicles for charitable giving; and
  • How you can pass on your charitable values.

Connect With Jonathan Gassman:

Connect With Richard Peck:

Connect With David Lenok:

About Our Guests:

Jonathan Gassman

A professional who acts as a chief financial advisor to many highly respected professionals, Jonathan has taken his knowledge and experience as a certified financial planner and a certified public accountant to consistently provide the highest level of service to his clients. Jonathan’s long-term involvement with charitable planned giving is what led him to pursue the rigorous CAP® credential (Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy®). The CAP® program provides financial professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to help clients reach their charitable giving objectives, while also helping them meet their estate planning and wealth management goals. Only 350 individuals have been awarded the prestigious CAP® designation since its inception in 2003.

 

Richard Peck

Rick Peck leads the Foundation’s philanthropy and donor services team, overseeing all aspects of development, donor engagement and donor services.

Before joining the Foundation, Rick served Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health and the Geisel School of Medicine as director of individual giving and gift planning, where he worked with grateful patients and families as well as medical school alumni to achieve their philanthropic goals. He also served Dartmouth College as an associate director of gift planning, working with alumni of the undergraduate college.

Rick is a Certified Financial Planner®, a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® and a Chartered Financial Consultant®. He holds an MBA from Baker College in Michigan and a BA from the University of Massachusetts.

Rick is a volunteer member of the marketing and development committee of the Grafton County Senior Citizens Council in Lebanon, NH. He also serves on the NH Race and Equity All Workgroup and the Civic Engagement subgroup in Concord, NH. And, he is a new member of the board of directors of the International Association of Advisors in Philanthropy.

 
Ep 56 – Elon Musk’s Charitable Limits With John Pantekidis

Ep 56 – Elon Musk’s Charitable Limits With John Pantekidis

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Between his six children and his illiquid assets in Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk’s claim to give half of his fortune to charity falls short. Yet only a few small steps would be required to increase his charitable giving and arrange support for his family.  

In this episode, David Lenok is joined by John Pantekidis of Twin Focus Capital. John shares his insight into the financial situation of Elon Musk, who was recently named the richest man in the world. 

John discusses Elon’s struggle to uphold his claims of philanthropic giving between his illiquid assets and support for a large family. John also discusses how others can avoid the pitfalls of keeping your wealth in illiquid assets and familial drama through premarital agreements and including the children in charity foundations. 

John discusses:

  • Why a premarital agreement should have been included when Elon Musk first married 
  • How his assets restrict his donation amount
  • What he should be doing to increase his charitable giving and passing money on to the next generation
  • The role of philanthropy in charitable giving

Connect With John Pantekidis:

Connect With David Lenok:

About Our Guest:

John is a partner at TwinFocus Capital and serves as the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) and General Counsel. In this role, John maintains a close working relationship with TwinFocus clients to help them design and expedite their investment strategies. He also leads the firm’s research efforts to develop new and creative asset allocation policies, oversee due diligence for manager search and selection, as well as write thought leadership commentary on global macroeconomic topics. Additionally, he has a keen interest in alternative investment fund formation and structuring, as well as analyzing complex tax aspects of alternative investments, pioneering studies on how to make hedge fund investing more tax efficient from an income and wealth transfer tax perspective. He is especially active on behalf of offshore clients, developing strategies to overcome cross-border impediments, tax, legal, and regulatory challenges, as well as cultural sensitivities to maximize inter-generational wealth transfer and succession planning.
Ep 54 – James Brown: Philanthropy After Death With Robert Strauss

Ep 54 – James Brown: Philanthropy After Death With Robert Strauss

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In this episode, David Lenok, senior editor at WealthManagement.com, is joined by Robert Strauss,  shareholder and director of Weinstock Manion, specializing in guiding high net worth families, business owners, and real estate developers through the complex process of estate and wealth transfer planning.

Today’s celebrity example is the estate of legendary musician and American icon James Brown, including the fifteen years it took to settle his relatively simple estate. David and Robert discuss how charitable giving can help you avoid drawn out settlements after your death.

David and Robert discuss:

  • The importance of defining the clients’ wishes for their estate after they pass
  • Charitable giving before vs. after death
  • How family and legal dynamics can change after you are gone
  • How charitable gains are taxed
  • And more

Connect With Robert Strauss:

Connect With David Lenok:

About Our Guest:

As a Partner at Weinstock Manion, I specialize in guiding high-networth families, business owners and real estate developers through the complex process of estate and wealth transfer planning. With an extensive background as a transactional attorney, I am able to effectively advise owners of businesses and real estate regarding business succession plans and pre-liquidity event wealth transfer plans. Further, I bring a creative and customized approach to all estate matters in order to reduce estate taxes, achieve liability and creditor protection and, if desired, incorporate charitable giving and life insurance planning.