Here’s Who Inherited Freddie Mercury’s Fortune After He Died
Freddie Mercury, Queen’s electrifying frontman with the four-octave vocal range, had a net worth of somewhere around $50 million (adjusted for inflation) when he died in 1991, according to Celebrity Net Worth. That’s a lot of coin. But, technically, a fair amount of it was tied up in real estate investments and various other non-liquid assets. Regardless, he had no children nor a legal spouse to leave his fortune to.
But Mercury found out he had a then-terminal illness in 1987 when he was diagnosed with HIV, according to Men’s Health. Though he hid his diagnosis from the public until the day before he died, there was still speculation in the tabloids which noticed he was looking thin to the point of being unwell, per Men’s Health. Mercury wanted to keep his illness private, which is understandable if you remember the stigma of HIV/Aids in the 1980s.
In the meantime, he had plenty of time to figure out who he wanted to leave his fortune to, and for Mercury, it seems the answer was obvious. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, he left 25% to his parents, 25% to his sister, and 50% to the woman he considered his common-law wife, Mary Austin.
Though Mercury eventually accepted and owned his homosexuality, he and Austin were once engaged and lived together for several years. After he came out to her, they remained very close. All told, the pair maintained their unique relationship for about 22 years before Mercury died.
When Mercury's parents died, their share of his estate also went to Mary Austin
Biography reported that Mercury once said, “All my lovers asked me why they couldn’t replace Mary, but it’s simply impossible. The only friend I’ve got is Mary, and I don’t want anybody else. To me, she was my common-law wife. To me, it was a marriage.”
Austin and Mercury met and began their relationship in 1969 before he’d even formed Queen, and through all of the fame and success, and into his illness and final days, Austin was an important part of his life — his most trusted confidant. She is the only person who knows where his ashes are, per his request, according to Biography. Mercury also left his London home to Austin, who told Ultimate Classic Rock in 2019 she has never redecorated or changed anything.
“Why would I want to change it? It is his taste and style. It’s beautiful. His presence is everywhere,” she said.
To further emphasize Mercury’s dedication to Mary Austin, he even directed in his will that when his parents died she would then get their share, so now, Austin gets 75% of Mercury’s estate. That’s significant because money is still coming in. According to NZ Herald, Austin received $75 million in royalties for the 2018 Mercury biopic, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Cha. Ching.
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