Is George Steinbrenner Really Dead?

Posted By Cliff Tuttle | July 19, 2010

No. 479

Today I heard an unsubstantiated and absolutely untrue rumor that George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees, had faked his own death.  But like most unsubstantiated and untrue rumors, it has a kernel of truth inside.  By dying in 2010, Mr. Steinbrenner’s heirs have received a fabulous windfall.  No federal estate tax will be due on his estate.

To some of us, such an extraordinary coincidence is too good to be true.  Someone must have planned it.  Or fabricated it. Mr. Steinbrenner’s reputation as a fierce fighter, a win-at-all-cost competitor, doesn’t hurt the plausibility of the rumor either. It would be a final victory so great as to eclipse all of the others. But before you get too excited about this, please remember that there are plenty of people who know that Mr Steinbrenner died from personal knowledge and presumably they have a body.  Plus, for all of his wiliness, Mr Steinbrenner has never been known to commit a crime.  This one would constitute a massive fraud.

Of course, even multibillionaires die and it will happen for some in 2010.  And where is Steinbrenner hiding out?  Possibly in the same place as Howard Hughes. Keep an eye on the tabloids for further developments.

Here’s what the Freakonomics Blog had to say about the the subject.  Inheritance Tax, that is, not Steinbrenner. Dubner has a different motivation to suggest, generally, not in the Steinbrenner case.  Murder.

CLT

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CLIFF TUTTLE has been a Pennsylvania lawyer for over 45 years and (inter alia) is a real estate litigator and legal writer. The posts in this blog are intended to provide general information about legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus. However, this information does not constitute legal advice and there is no lawyer-client relationship created when you read this blog. You are encouraged to leave comments but be aware that posted comments can be read by others. If you wish to contact me in privacy, please use the Contact Form located immediately below this message. I will reply promptly and in strict confidence.

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