Fashion icon Vivienne Westwood leaves $25.57m fortune to family and charities

Dame Vivienne Westwood's will reveals division of wealth among loved ones and causes she cared for.

Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, known as the godmother of punk, has left behind a  $25.57 million fortune, according to recent documents. 

Her estate, split among her family and charitable causes, reflects her lifelong commitment to both her loved ones and her beliefs.

Dame Vivienne, who passed away in December 2022 at the age of 81, resided with her third husband Andreas Kronthaler, 58, in a mansion near Clapham Common, South London. 

Her will allocates portions of her wealth to her two sons from previous relationships, Ben Westwood, 60, and Joseph Corre, 56, as well as to undisclosed charities.

Ben was born during her marriage to Derek Westwood, while Joseph, a co-founder of lingerie brand Agent Provocateur, was born to punk promoter Malcolm McLaren.

The exact charities benefiting from Dame Vivienne's generosity remain unnamed, but her long standing support for causes such as climate change activism and civil rights suggests her philanthropic legacy will endure.

A source from the fashion industry revealed, "Dame Vivienne amassed a huge fortune and gave quite a lot of it away before she died." 

They added, "For her, family came first – and this is shown in her will. But Dame Vivienne also had strong beliefs and so she wanted some of her earnings to go towards charities that she supported."