Dad death set to make Liz’s son richest teen in world
THEY never got to know each other after Steve Bing had denied Damian Hurley was his son. But with the tycoon’s tragic death this week, the 18-year-old is set to become the richest teenager on the planet.
Film producer and philanthropist Bing, 55, was found at the foot of the apartment building where he lived in Los Angeles after falling from the 27th floor in a suspected suicide on Monday.
He leaves a £482million fortune, which could go to Damian, Liz Hurley’s only child, who described his father’s death as “devastating”. He posted: “This is a very strange and confusing time.”
Liz, 55, posted photos of herself and Bing from when they were dating and revealed that they had last spoken on April 4, their son’s 18th birthday.
She said she was “saddened beyond belief that my ex Steve is no longer with us” adding it was “a terrible end”.
She began seeing Bing in 2000 but they broke up when she became pregnant with Damian and he vehemently denied he was the father.
After a DNA result proved he was, Bing said he would be “involved and responsible”, announcing he would pay £100,000 a month into a trust fund, which his son could access at 18.
It was the first sign that, even if he was not involved in Damian’s life, he intended to support his son financially – much to the anger of his family. Bing, who reportedly took his own life after growing depressed while in isolation due to the coronavirus, had inherited his fortune from his New York property mogul grandfather, Leo S. Bing on his 18th birthday, leading him to drop out of uni.
But Damian and his half sister Kira Bonder, 20, may face a colossal battle for the Bing inheritance. Kira is the daughter of tennis player Lisa Bonder.
Initially, it was believed her father was billionaire Kirk Kerkorian. In 2016, she was awarded £4.94million from his estate but a DNA test later revealed Bing was her dad.
Last year, Bing’s father Dr Peter Bing tried to prevent his son’s children from accessing the family’s trust fund as he did not consider them to be relations.
A court action began after Kira demanded information on the family trust, claiming she was a beneficiary.
Court documents stated that after setting up the “GC trust” in 1980, Dr Bing stipulated any grandchild must be “raised by my children as part of their families” in order to benefit. Dr Bing’s affidavit stated: “I have never met Damian or Kira and neither of them was raised by Stephen as part of his family.
“Even were Stephen to develop a relationship with Damian now, l would not consider him my grandchild. To the best of my knowledge, Stephen has never met Damian and Stephen only met Kira after she became an adult.”
But last July, a Los Angeles judge ruled that Damian and Kira were beneficiaries of the family trust.
Judge Daniel Juarez shot down attempts to claim the term “grandchild” needed clarification. The ruling stated: “There is no ambiguity in the Trusts’ use of the term ‘grandchild’.”
When Liz became pregnant with Damian, Bing’s younger sister Mary, now 53, said the actress had “reproductively taken advantage” of him.
In a Vanity Fair interview, she said her brother had been “snookered into being a parent” after wooing Liz with Rolex watches, sapphire and diamond rings and trips to New York.
The article quoted friends of Bing, who claimed Liz became pregnant after antibiotics which she was taking reacted with her contraceptive pill.
The magazine alleged Bing had urged her to get an abortion followed by therapy, which she refused.
The filmmaker is said to have discussed becoming a father with friends, reportedly telling them: “Sure, I’d like to have kids.
“Kids, that is, that I voluntarily play a part in conceiving.”
Aside from his turbulent love life and high-profile paternity cases, Bing was a film producer, philanthropist and friend of the stars.
He wrote the screenplay for 2003 comedy Kangaroo Jack and, as an investor, was pivotal in bringing Tom Hanks’ The Polar Express to life, contributing £80million to the 2004 computer-animated film.
The silver-haired 6ft 4in producer also helped finance Beowulf, the 2007 fantasy action film based on the epic poem of the same name, and he also backed Martin Scorsese’s film Shine a Light, which followed The Rolling Stones’ 2006 concerts.
Bing counted Brad Pitt, Warren Beatty, James Caan, Hugh Hefner and Mick Jagger among his friends but famously fell out with Sean Penn in a row over a movie role.
He was a staunch Democrat and influential party donor, growing particularly close to Bill Clinton, having given at least £8million to the former US president’s foundation.
In 2000, Bing helped fund the Democratic National Committee, which was struggling to find backers to pay for the party’s LA convention.
While at billionaire businessman Ron Burkle’s home, DNC fundraiser Terry McAuliffe said Bing arrived “wearing ripped up old jeans and a T-shirt with holes in it”.
McAuliffe said he thought he might be a pool man or a gardener.
When he realised who it was and explained the situation, Bing told him: “All right, I’ll help you out.” He then pulled a crumpled chequebook out of his jeans pocket.
After running his hand over it to straighten it out, he wrote out a cheque for one million dollars.
Bill Clinton tweeted a tribute to his friend. He said: “I loved Steve Bing very much. He had a big heart and he was willing to do anything he could for the people and causes he believed in.
“I will miss him and his enthusiasm more than I can say and I hope he’s finally found peace.”
I loved Steve very much.. he had a big heart
BILL CLINTON FORMER US PRESIDENT ON BING