Kirk Douglas sadly passed away at the age of 103 in 2020. He will always be remembered as a legendary actor.
He amassed a great amount of wealth before his death and quite sadly none of his kids got a single dollar from his fortune.
Kirk Douglas was born in Amsterdam, New York, on December 9, 1916. He changed his name from Issur Danielovitch to Kirk Douglas as he thought that was better for his career. His parents were Russian immigrants and the only male in a family of seven.
“Even on Eagle Street, in the poorest section of town, where all the families were struggling, the ragman was on the lowest rung on the ladder,” Mr. Douglas wrote in his best-selling autobiography. “And I was the ragman’s son.”
Kirk found his passion for drama while in high school. He was encouraged by his teacher who went on to introduce him to poetry.
Douglas reminisced, “I would have been run out of town if I had ever admitted to liking poetry or said out loud, ‘I want to be a great actor.’Because of her, I sent away for college and drama school catalogs and saved every penny, so I could get there.”
“Mrs. Livingston was cool and detached when she walked into the classroom. She never raised her well-modulated voice. Emotion crept in only when she read poetry. She thought I was wonderful. She encouraged me and kept me after school. What a sparkle came into her eyes as she read poem after poem with me sitting by her side.”
In 1941, Douglas earned his first Broadway role and went on to get more Broadway roles after that.
In 1949, Kirk Douglas got his breakthrough after he starred as boxer Midge Kelly in the movie Boxer and the rest is history.
He got married to Diana Dill, an actress and a model and welcomed two kids, Joel and Michael Douglas.
Three years later, he got married to Anne Buydens and had two children, Peter and Eric Douglas.
They met for the first time while filming in Paris and Anne wasn’t interested in him as of then.
All of Kirk’s sons went into film acting, and Michael being the most successful and their relationship wasn’t so great.
Kirk’s last movie role was in 2008 before his death.
He is estimated to be worth over $61 million, and his sons didn’t inherit a dollar from his fortune rather he donated it to other causes like The Sinai Temple of Westwood, the Kirk Douglas Theatre, and the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and $50 million to St. Lawrence University, where he attended in his early life.
Michael Douglas didn’t receive a penny either, but he won’t be needing it I suppose as he’s worth over $300 million.
Michael Douglas said in a statement, “Kirk’s life was well-lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet.”
May he rest in Peace.
