When George Michael died, he left behind a staggering £97.6 million ($A193 million) fortune and impressive property portfolio.
The Wham! star tragically passed away at age 53 on Christmas Day 2016, as a result of heart and liver disease.
The Grammy-winner owned numerous homes across Europe, Australia and America.
Here’s a closer look at what happened to Michael’s real estate collection and who inherited his estate.
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George Michael died at age 53 on Christmas Day 2016. Picture: Michael Putland/Getty Images
What happened to George Michael’s properties?
Oakhill house
The musician snapped up an Oakhill house in London in 1987 as his solo career took off.
Earlier this year, photos emerged of the Father Figure singer’s £10 million ($A20 million) mansion had fallen into despair.
At the time, the property was clad in scaffolding, with overflowing skips littering the driveway, as workers toil to turn around its fortunes. Its enormous trees and bushes are now overgrown and unkempt.
The Sun reports neighbours were struggling to comprehend its downturn when the star left a vast fortune.
“We used to see George around but no one seems to have been in the house for years,” one local said.
“With all that money sloshing about, it’s strange that it’s taken so long to get around to sorting it out. Why has it taken so long?”
Michael Oakhill’s house in ruins. Picture: Camden Council
Meanwhile, a month of Michale’s death, his sister Yioda Panayiotou was handed the keys to his Highgate mansion but was soon struggling to maintain it.
She was given the green light by Camden Council for a swath of repairs. Her team of architects, BB Partnership, submitted planning documents promising to transform it into a “habitable condition”.
Back in May, photos published by The Sun showed the residence had improved after major renovation work.
The scaffolding from the main house had been removed, revealing a brand new roof complete with solar panels, fresh doors, windows, decking, and one of the garages was turned into living quarters.
Michael’s younger sister Yioda was handed the keys to his Highgate mansion. Picture: Camden Council
Goring
Michael bought Mill Cottage, a 16th Century rural cottage in the exclusive Berkshire village of Goring in 2001. It was there he died on Christmas Day 2016.
The house was snapped up by property developers from Hong Kong for £3.8 million ($A7.5 million) in 2020.
They then transformed it into a stylish Airbnb rental, charging £550 ($A1,000) a night.
George Michael’s former Mill Cottage, where he passed away in 2016. Picture: YouTube
The home was sold for £3.8m. Picture: YouTube
St Tropez
Michael’s stunning French villa appeared on the market for £10.3 million ($A20.3 million) within months of his death.
Boasting six bedrooms, a huge swimming pool and sweeping sea views, the singer had owned the lavish property in Ramatuelle since the Eighties.
He affectionately dubbed the house Chez Nobby after his childhood nickname.
Sydney
While on a whirlwind visit to celebrate Sydney’s Mardi Gras festival with former boyfriend Fadi Fawaz in 2010, Michael adored the five bedroom, five bathroom clifftop house with ocean views.
Having first been sold in 2020 for $5.8 million, in 2023 it was quietly listed for $A15million and is now a popular summer rental commanding £2,000 ($A3,900) a night.
George Michael’s former clifftop home in Sydney. Picture: realestate.com.au
The property was first been sold in 2020 for $A5.8 million. Picture: realestate.com.au
Santa Barbara
Less than a year after he died, Michael’s luxurious Californian mansion was up for sale at £4.9 million ($A9.6 million).
With five bedrooms and six bathrooms, it also features a pool, sauna, tennis court and parking for 25 cars.
Dallas
In the early days of his fiery relationship with Kenny Goss, Michael hung out in Dallas, Texas.
The four bedroom, colonial-style house was lined with expensive pieces of art from Kenny’s vast collection.
It was sold six months after Michael died for just under £3 million ($A5.9 million).
The Grammy-winner owned numerous homes across Europe, Australia and America. Picture: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Who inherited George Michael’s Estate?
But it was more than two years later, in May 2019, before court paperwork was finally issued, meaning Michael’s estate could be divided up.
The bulk of it went to sisters Yioda and Melanie Panayiotou, while his dad Kyriacos, known as Jack, was handed the use of the singer’s horse stud farm in Hertfordshire, where he had lived for years, “for so long as he wishes”.
Artwork including pieces by Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin, and a piano once owned by John Lennon, went to the Mill Charitable Trust which Michael set up in 2009 to give money to other charities.
Michael with parents Jack and Lesley, and sisters Melanie and Yioda. Picture: Instagram
The remainder of the estate was to be sold then divided as the trustees saw fit between between his father, sisters and friends.
Beneficiaries included Wham! bandmate Shirlie Kemp, model Kay Mayer, record producer David Austin, former PA Michelle May, cousin Alex Georgiou, publicist Connie Filippo and family friend Sonia Bird.
Michael’s goddaughters Harley Moon Kemp and Bluebell Halliwell — the daughters of backing singer Shirlie and Spice Girl Geri — were also included.
But notably, nothing was left to Fawaz who discovered Michael’s body at his home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxon.
After Michael’s death, Fawaz squatted at another of the singer’s London properties, near Regent’s Park, refusing to give the £5 million ($A9.8 million) pile back to George’s family.
In July 2019 he was arrested after reportedly standing on the roof topless. A few days earlier he had been in trouble for smashing up the house.
Michael’s family were keen to flog the Santa Barbara pad to offer Fawaz a financial incentive to leave the London townhouse.
Michael with former lover Fadi Fawaz (left). Picture: Twitter
Long-running feud
Michael’s former partner Kenny Goss did get some money despite not being named in the will.
Goss had asked for a £15,000 ($A27,000)-a-month payment but eventually settled for an undisclosed sum following a long-running feud.
But exactly three years after the music icon’s death, his eldest sister Melanie was found dead at her North London home aged 59.
Melanie, who had also been Michael’s hair and make-up artist, was later revealed to have left an estate of just £6.2 million ($A12.2 million) after using up most of her inheritance.
Her death was reportedly due to diabetic ketoacidosis. She was buried in Highgate Cemetery beside Michael and their mother Lesley who died of cancer in 1997.
Managing the artist’s estate then fell to younger sister Yioda who now has control over his remaining fortune.
Unmarried Yioda was one of the few people the singer continued to trust as he became ravaged by booze and substance abuse toward the end of his life.
After their mother’s death, she moved in with George to help him come to terms with his grief.
Michael with former partner Kenny Goss (right).
George Michael’s eye-watering royalties
The Faith singer’s company Nobby’s Hobbies Holding Ltd made an astonishing £23.7 million ($A45.4 million) in 2023 and £6.6 million ($A13.2 million) last year.
While the estate rakes in millions from royalties, some are shared with former bandmate Andrew Ridgeley and George’s god son, DJ Roman Kemp.
While Kemp’s shares have not been disclosed, Ridgeley has been able to live comfortably thanks to the royalties from Careless Whisper, which he co-wrote.
The hit song alone has earned him a reported £10 million ($A20 million) since 1982.
But he missed out on any cash from their mega hit Last Christmas. Wham! donated all royalties to Ethiopian famine relief when Band Aid kept them off the top spot in 1984.
While Michael’s estate rakes in millions from royalties, some are shared with former Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley. Picture: London Sun
The song still earns at least £300,000 ($A593,000) per year in royalties, and when it went to No1 in December those proceeds went to African charities too.
Royalties from Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me, the 1991 duet with Elton John, go to Terrence Higgins Trust, the Rainbow Trust, and London Lighthouse hospice.
Proceeds from Michael’s 1996 hit Jesus to a Child went to Childline.
Parts of this story first appeared in The Sun and was republished with permission.
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