George Michael died on Christmas Day 2016 at his home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, aged just 53.
The Wham! singer’s partner Fadi Fawaz found his body in his bed and was later revealed by a coroner that singer died due to heart and liver disease.
READ MORE: Boy George’s life – eye-watering net worth, jail time, Hollyoaks stint and feuds
In June 2019 Michael’s will was revealed almost and many of people in the Wham! singer’s inner circle were snubbed.
Andrew Ridgeley, the other half of Wham!, was left out, as was George’s exes and Fadi and a host of his close confidantes.
Daily Star Online takes a look a the 11 beneficiaries to the singer’s fortune.
Melanie Panayiotou
George’s younger sister, Melanie, was his hair and make-up artist throughout his career.
They were very close and Melanie spent a lot of time with him in the later years of his life.
Tragedy struck on Christmas Day 2019, exactly three years after George’s death, when Melanie was found dead at her home in Hampstead, north London, which she inherited from her brother, after falling into a diabetic coma.
Despite claims she and her Yiodo received the bulk of George’s fortune, it was claimed last month by The Sun she left behind just £6million after she died without a will.
(Image: Getty Images)
George’s older sister Yioda, 57, grew close to the singer and Melanie after their mum died.
During George’s battle with substance abuse she was one of the few people the singer continued to trust.
Her death affected George’s health and in a bid to support him she spent time with him at his homes in Oxford and London.
She was named as one of the executors and trustees of the will and took control over almost all of his fortune.
(Image: LightRocket via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, singer Shirlie, 57, was a close pal of George and a Wham! backing singer.
George played cupid between her and Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp and they later married.
After the group split, she continued to be close friends with George, and lived near his home.
George later became godfather to her son Roman Kemp, who is now breakfast show host on Capital FM.
The singer also left a sum of money to Michelle May – not much is known about her other than she was George’s former personal assistant.
These days she spends her time promoting the charitable causes championed by his trust.
Another beneficiary was Jack Panos, George’s restaurateur dad who moved to London in the 1950s.
George was pushed towards a career in music by his dad and he had a close and respectful relationship with him, especially after his mum died
He was given a horseracing stud farm in Hertfordshire in George’s will, which George had bought and he had previously been living at and running.
In the legal paperwork for the will there was a clause demanding he ”live at the property and conduct his business there from for so long as he wishes”.
George also left money to Connie, his publicist who was always by the singer’s side.
Connie was fiercely loyal to him especially when he was arrested several times as he battled his addictions.
She insisted that stories of his hedonistic excess were wildly exaggerated.
When he tumbled from his Range Rover at high speed on the M1 in 2013 she claimed it was accident after he leaned on the car door.
After he died she told how working with George was the highlight of her career.
George’s best pal was record producer David Austen and often visited him after he retired from public life.
It is believed he has a back catalogue of George’s unreleased tracks that could potentially be worth millions, but has so far decided to keep them private.
Underwear model Kay, 54, and George became close in the late 80s and early 90s and were regularly seen out partying in the capital.
Nonetheless, Kay was left stunned after finding out she was set to inherit a slice of his fortune and only discovered she was in his will on the day it was revealed.
(Image: Getty Images)
After hearing the bombshell news she described it as a “lovely gesture”, adding: I saw it reported this morning, I didn’t know about it but now I know.
”I think it is such a lovely gesture, I don’t know (how much I will get). He is a wonderful, wonderful man.”
George also left money to his cousin Alex Georgiou, who grew up with him and worked as his personal assistant and driver during the height of his fame in the 80s
The pair travelled the world together through George’s work after after he stepped back from music Alex continued to live at George’s home and often walked his dogs in the local area.
It is understood that the pair were embroiled in a bitter row after Alex urged him to address his drug abuse.
(Image: GC Images)
One charity that saw the benefit of George’s will was Mill Trust charity – founded by George to manage his donations.
Control of it was handed to Yioda after the singer’s death and now focusses on handing out cash to the elderly and homeless, as well as to Childline and Cancer Research.
Finally, Sonia Bird is a long-time friend of George’s family.
Her inclusion in the will came as a huge surprise to many people in his inner circle, as many said they had never heard of her before she was announced as a beneficiary to his fortune.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
