Lisa Marie Presley died on January 12 aged 54. Photo / AP
Lisa Marie Presley died on January 12 aged 54. Photo / AP
Lisa Marie Presley “always” wanted Graceland to go to her children.
The late singer died on January 12 aged 54 and on January 25, her mother Priscilla Presley filed a petition questioning the “authenticity and validity” of an amendment made to her daughter’s trust - which includes her late fatherElvis Presley’s iconic home and 15 per cent ownership of his estate - in 2016 which removed her and business manager Barry Siegel as trustees and appointed Lisa Marie’s children, Riley and the late Benjamin Keough instead.
Elvis Presley's Graceland. Photo / Getty Images
But Joel Weinshanker, managing partner at Elvis Presley Enterprises, insisted there was no question that Lisa Marie wanted her kids, including 14-year-old twins Harper and Finley, to inherit the estate, and he had discussed the decision to make Riley and Benjamin - who took his own life in 2020 - trustees with her several times.
He said: “We discussed this many many times [before] she passed, and that was always Riley and Ben.
“There was never a question in her mind that they would be the stewards, that they would look at it the exact same way that she did. And obviously when Ben passed, it really sat with Riley.”
Acknowledging Riley’s career in acting and directing, he insisted she “always had an interest” and “knew that one day she would be in charge”.
Weinshanker also took an apparent swipe at Priscilla Presley when praising Lisa Marie’s handling of her father’s legacy.
He told Sirius XM’s Elvis Radio: “Everyone knew that when Elvis passed away, he left everything to his little girl. He did so knowing that she would be the one to keep his legacy going.
“We got along so well because we were both trying to do what was best for Elvis, regardless of what somebody else was trying to do, regardless of what a family member would do.
“Lisa couldn’t be bought, she couldn’t be pushed. If she felt that something wasn’t in Elvis’ best interest, it was never about money. And she really is the only Presley that you could say that about.”
