In 1969, aspiring author John Kennedy Toole commits suicide. He doesn’t leave a will, entitling his parents to an estate that includes his unpublished manuscript, “A Confederacy of Dunces.” His father also passes away without a will, entitling his half of his son’s estate to his extended family. Before the book can be published, mother Thelma convinces them to sign away their rights to the book, without them realizing the massive success it will become: the first-ever posthumous Pulitzer Prize winner. When Thelma finds another of Toole’s manuscripts, “The Neon Bible,” her husband’s family refuses to make the same mistake twice, and a furious Thelma will do whatever it takes to ensure these “unworthy” relatives do not profit off of her son’s genius.
Norman Otto Hipel dies of a heart attack in 1953. The prominent Canadian politician leaves behind his wife and their two children, Norma and George. Following his wife’s death 25 years later, the estate is to be split equally between the children. But Norma is not told of either inheritance, and never gets her share, the value of both estimated to be more than $10 million. Norma is estranged from the family and raises her own seven children in abject poverty. Decades later, Norma’s daughter Nancy learns by fluke who her grandfather was. Nancy is willing to do whatever it takes to help her mother recoup both inheritances.
In February, 1987, Andy Warhol, the iconoclastic artist and 'prince of pop art,' dies from complications after a routine operation. Just 58 years old, he is one of the wealthiest artists of his time. With appraisals of his work ranging from $95 million to almost $600 million, the fight for art gets ugly. His estate lawyer and his charitable foundation duke it out amid allegations of fraud, price-fixing, and shady backroom deals. The dispute culminates in a legal standoff that calls into question Warhol's value as an artist and his legacy as a cultural icon – and just how much his own "15 minutes of fame" is worth.
On "the day the music died," February 3, 1959, rock n' roll sensation Richard Valenzuela, aka Ritchie Valens, dies in a tragic plane crash at the young age of 17. Having yet to earn much money from his music, Valens does not have a will prepared. The fight for the royalties from his music begins shortly after his funeral, pitting Ritchie's family against the man who discovered, promoted, produced, and managed the young star. The legal wrangling goes on for decades, only ending in the 1980s, when the movie "La Bamba" is released, which catapults Ritchie Valens back to top of the charts.