Judge confirms special administrators for Prince estate

A Minnesota judge has formally confirmed bank bosses will serve as special administrators for Prince’s estate after he died without a will.
The Purple Rain hitmaker’s sister, Tyka Nelson, and four of their five half-siblings appeared in a Carver County court in Minnesota on Monday morning (02May16) for the first probate hearing regarding the superstar’s assets, following his unexpected death on 21 April (16).
Last week (27Apr16), Judge Kevin Eide approved Tyka’s request to open a probate case, after acknowledging that Prince had failed to leave instructions regarding his final wishes, and he agreed to appoint executives at the Bremer Trust, National Association, to serve as the official administrators of Prince’s estate for up to six months, until a personal representative could take over the responsibility.
As per state law, the hitmaker’s assets, which TMZ.com reports is valued at less than $150 million (£104 million), will be split evenly between his heirs, who have been listed as Tyka, Alfred Jackson, John R. Nelson, Norrine Nelson, Sharon Nelson, and Omarr Baker.
John R. Nelson was the only sibling not in court on Monday, and his attorney revealed he was the sole relative not to sign off on a petition to have Bremer Trust chiefs oversee the settlement of Prince’s estate.
However, Judge Eide pressed ahead with formalising the appointment, after a silence fell over the packed courtroom when he asked if anyone present knew of an existing will, reports The Associated Press.
No one addressed the official value of Prince’s estate in court, but the property he owned in his native Minnesota alone, including the Paisley Park studios in Chanhassen, where he died, is worth an estimated $27 million (£18.4 million).
His posthumous earnings are also expected to swell as fans continue to stock up on Prince hits to celebrate his legacy.
Prince’s cause of death is still under investigation, amid reports suggesting the 57-year-old may have battled a dependency on prescription painkillers. His remains were cremated during a private ceremony on 23 April (16), a day after authorities completed an initial autopsy on his body.