Chef Anthony Bourdain holds his daughter Ariane in Miami Beach. Photo / AP
Chef Anthony Bourdain holds his daughter Ariane in Miami Beach. Photo / AP
Anthony Bourdain has left the majority of his US$1.2million (NZ$1.8m) estate to his 11-year-old daughter Ariane.
A copy of the late celebrity chef's will was filed in Manhattan on Thursday (local time), less than a month after he committed suicide in a hotel room in France.
Bourdain's property includes US$425,000 (NZ$626,300) in cash and savings, US$35,000 (NZ$51,600) in brokerage accounts, US$250,000 (NZ$368,400) in personal property, and US$500,000 (NZ$736,850) in 'intangible property including royalties and residuals', according to court records obtained by the NY Daily News.
The documents also indicate that Bourdain has a mortgage worth $1.1m (NZ$1.6m), but the corresponding property is not specified, the Daily Mail reports.
The total value of the estate came as a surprise to some as previous reports estimated the Parts Unknown star's net worth was around US$16m (NZ$23.6m).
The executor of the estate is Bourdain's estranged wife, Ottavia Busia, who also handled his funeral arrangements and the process of returning his body to the US.
The couple divorced in 2016 after nine years of marriage but remained close in part thanks to their daughter Ariane, who was born the year they were married in 2007.
The family was gutted when they learned that the 61-year-old had killed himself in a hotel room on June 8 while he was in Kayserberg, France, filming an episode of Parts Unknown.
Just days later, Busia posted a photo of Ariane performing at a concert on June 11.
"Our little girl had her concert today. She was amazing. So strong and brave. She wore the boots you bought her. I hope you are having a good trip, wherever you are," the caption said.
In the photo, Ariane could be seen singing into a microphone as she stood in front of her band wearing a pair of black platform boots with studs and spikes.
Bourdain spoke fondly of his daughter in a 2016 interview with The New Yorker following his divorce from Busia.
"I'm shocked by how happy my daughter is. I don't think I'm deluding myself. I know I'm a loving father," the chef said.
The court documents specify that Bourdain's "accumulated frequent flier miles" will go to Busia, who has been instructed to "dispose of [them] in accordance with what [she] believes to have been my wishes," he wrote in the will.
He left similar instructions for his cars, furniture, books, clothing and other household items.
The remainder of his assets have been gifted to his only child, Ariane.
A court-appointed guardian will handle the estate to protect Ariane's interests until she turns 18.
Chef Anthony Bourdain holds his daughter Ariane in Miami Beach. Photo / AP
In the event that his daughter died before he did, the money would have gone to her nanny, Myra Quizon, according to the will.
Bourdain's net worth had never been reported by reliable sources, but it was thought to be around US$16m (NZ$23.6m).
In 2017 he said that those estimates were "ten times overstated".
"I think the people who calculate these things assume that I live a lot more sensibly than I do," he told Wealthsimple.
The New York-native had lived paycheque-to-paycheque until he was in his 40s, admitting on multiple occasions that he was terrible with handling money.
It is unclear how much he earned per episode on the various TV shows he's hosted since 2000, or how much he earned from the 11 books he authored.
The pair's relationship was nontraditional, according to close friend Rose McGowan.
The actress posted an open letter after travelling to Italy to be by Argento's side, in which she wrote: "Anthony and Asia had a free relationship, they loved without borders of traditional relationships, and they established the parameters of their relationship early on.
"Asia is a free bird, and so was Anthony," she added.
The letter went on to reveal that after Bourdain and Argento met, the chef told a mutual friend that he had "never met anyone who wanted to die more than him."
McGowan explained that while both Bourdain and Argento had suicidal thoughts, Argento got help "so she could stay alive and live another day for her and her children".
"Anthony's depression didn't let him, he put down his armour, and that was very much his choice," she said.
"On behalf of me and all who are hurting because of this unfathomable loss, I have asked the strongest woman I know, Rose McGowan, to be my voice, to help me shoulder this burden and write truth," read the message.
"Please read these words and have mercy on our pain."
It was signed by Argento in "grief and strength."
WHERE TO GET HELP:
If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call police immediately on 111.
