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On March 31, 2019, the world stood still for a moment. My world did, anyway.
That day, we learned Nipsey Hussle - born Ermias Asghedom - had been shot and killed outside his Marathon Clothing store in South Los Angeles. His hometown.
There was a lot of conversation in our community after that. About reinvestment. About rehabilitating the neighborhoods that raised us - juxtaposed against this being the exact reason why we should never go back. Why we need to leave. There was sadness. There was remembrance.
We saw the videos of his longtime partner, Lauren London, running into the hospital. Just a month before, we’d seen her glowing beside him - pristine, radiant - in their GQ photo shoot. We mourned that contrast. I mourned it.
Nipsey’s passing was a loss for our community. Nipsey was an intellect. He was a man who stood on business. A man who understood, from his youth, the value of a block - his block - & who spent his life trying to teach the rest of us how to build on what we have instead of leaving it behind.
Seven years later, Nipsey is still teaching us. This lesson, I’m sure, was never one he intended to give:
how to better prepare for the tomorrow none of us can predict
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A quick note before we get into it: you’ll notice the media calling this a “probate” case. My email yesterday told you “probate” means there was a will. So, what’s going on?
In California, probate is the umbrella term for the entire court process - will or no will. The only thing that changes is the title of the person running it: executor if there’s a will, administrator if there isn’t.
New York doesn’t work that way. Here, Probate and Administration are two separate proceedings entirely.
Everything in this series takes the facts of Nipsey’s case & applies New York law to them - so you can see exactly what’s applicable to you, & how you might want to address it, if you choose to.
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Let’s Get Into the Facts
➤ Nipsey was the father of two children: Emani, born to Tanisha Foster, and Kross, born to Lauren London. Both were minors when he died.
➤ He and Lauren London were long-term partners - deeply committed (ten toes, if you will) - but never married.
➤ Before his death, Nipsey was an active father to Emani & a source of her financial support.
➤ Nipsey died in March of 2019, without a will.
➤ Under California’s default estate plan, the intestate succession statute, his two children became his estate’s only beneficiaries. Lauren was entitled to nothing.
➤ No will also meant no named guardian. In 2019, a judge appointed Nipsey’s mother, sister, & brother as Emani’s guardians - over the objection of her mother, Foster. It wasn’t fully resolved until 2025, when Foster regained joint custody & the grandmother & aunt stepped down.
➤ No estate plan meant no trustee named either. No directions for how the money should be spent, at what age his children should inherit, or under what conditions the money should be distributed.
➤ There was no privacy. California probate is public record. What’s sealed here is sealed specifically because Emani and Kross are minors - not because the process itself is private.
➤ His estate was valued around $4 million at the time of his death. By this year, appreciation - mostly his catalog & business interests - brought it to roughly $11 million.
What Are the Lessons?
Over the next several days, we’re going to walk through what actually happened in this case. We’re going to cover the gaps - places where a plan could have changed the outcome, the cost, & most importantly, the timeline. Here’s what’s coming:
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“Grinding All My Life”
Want a Slice?
Guardian of the child vs. guardian of the money. These are two different jobs. Nipsey’s case shows exactly what happens when nobody names either one - & we’ll break down what years of California administration actually cost, in real numbers.
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“Million While You Young”
How can I follow the path that someone else has laid for me to be successful?
Trusts vs. outright gifts to minors. Beneficiary-controlled trusts, spendthrift provisions, age-based distributions, education & trade-school conditions - the tools that let you control money from beyond the grave instead of handing an 18-year-old a check. And the mistake I see constantly: naming your kids directly as beneficiaries on your life insurance or your 401(k).
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“Double Up”
What about Lauren?
Long-term partners raising children together, without a marriage certificate, need their own protection - including a conversation about what New York’s elective share does & doesn’t cover for a spouse, & why it offers a long-term partner nothing at all.
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“Dedication”
Hard Work + Patience
Business succession. Do we really want an 18-year-old with zero business experience to inherit ownership of a company? We will discuss alternatives to handing over the keys outright.
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“Real Big”
Nobody Told Us It Would Look Like This
Estate tax. New York’s estate tax, the federal estate tax, what gets counted toward that number - including life insurance - & why some of Nipsey’s assets already being held in trust could have made a real difference.
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Stay with me this week. Every one of these could apply to your family, whether your estate is worth $11 million or considerably less or more.
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Your Action Set
For the parents - here’s what I want you to do today.
Married or not, doesn’t matter - & name two people. First: who would raise your kids if you couldn’t. Second: who would manage their money until they’re adults.
They can be the same person. They don’t have to be. & here’s the part people get wrong most often: it does not have to be your child’s other parent. Not automatically. Not by default.
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— The Trusted Esq.
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