Guide Note
Bernard Lafferty was the butler of the famous heiress Doris Duke.
Lafferty and Duke formed an intimate relationship as Duke's health deteriorated. When Duke died, she left Lafferty $5 million, as well as making him the co-executor of the estate for $500,000 per year.1
While Lafferty was removed from his place on the foundations, he kept the inheritance that Duke left him.
Fast Facts
- Died: November 4, 1996
- Death Location: Los Angeles, California
- Spent his life working for celebrities
- Went to rehab for alcoholism
- Inherited $5 million
- Duke's butler for 6 years
- Platonic relationship with Duke
- Ralph Fiennes portrayed him in Bernard and Doris
Controversy
There was quite a bit of controversy surrounding Duke's last will and testament. Chandi Heffner Duke, the disinherited adopted daughter, reached a $65 million settlement with Lafferty and the estate in 1995.1
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