Hotelier Helmsley bequeaths billions for dogs' welfare

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2008

NEW YORK (AFP) — Deceased hotelier Leona Helmsley, who bequeathed 12 million dollars of her fortune to her pet dog, left the rest of her multi-billion dollar estate to animal welfare groups aiding man's best friend, the New York Times reported Wednesday.

Helmsley, who died in August at the age of 87, instructed her executors that virtually her entire trust, valued at up to eight billion dollars, should be used for the care and the welfare of dogs, according to two people familiar with the details of her will.

Helmsley married real estate magnate Harry Helmsley in 1972, helping him build a company managing some of New York's most prestigious addresses, including the Empire State Building, as well as hotels across the country.

After his death, she served jail...