A woman who claims she was promised financial support by Kirk Kerkorian if she agreed to be the late billionaire’s companion is seeking at least $20 million from his estate, court papers show.
In her creditor’s claim, obtained Wednesday by City News Service, real estate agent Vanessa Sandin says she revised her work and child care schedules to accommodate her commitment to Kerkorian in the last year of his life.
“Beginning in or about June 2014, Ms. Sandin spent a few hours virtually every day providing Mr. Kerkorian with companionship in Mr. Kerkorian’s home,” Sandin’s court papers state.
By the fall of that year, Kerkorian asked Sandin to increase the time she spent with him and “informed her that he would make sure that she was well cared for and would never have to work again, by providing for her in at least the amount of $20 million,” Sandin’s court papers say.
Sandin eventually increased the time she spent with Kerkorian until his death last June 15 at age 98, according to the papers she filed last Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
“Mr. Kerkorian benefited greatly from Ms. Sandin’s companionship,” Sandin’s court papers state.
But Sandin says she found out that despite his assurances to her, Kerkorian’s estate planning documents did not include any provisions for her.
“Ms. Sandin would suffer unconscionable injury and it would be inequitable if Mr. Kerkorian’s promise to provide for her were not enforced,” the petitioner’s court papers state.
Kerkorian had a personal worth of about $4 billion when he died, according to Forbes. He had noted developments on the Las Vegas Strip, including the MGM and MGM Grand. He also invested in and operated businesses in a number of industries, including airlines, automakers, Chrysler Corp., General Motors and film studios.
He purchased MGM Studios three times, bought United Artists and tried to acquire Columbia Pictures.
— Wire reports