‘Don’t blow it,’ Lance tells son he leaves £1m
COMEDY actor Lance Percival left his son more than £1million in his will – but with instructions that it shouldn’t ‘be blown away on frivolities’.
Percival, who made his name on 1960s satire That Was The Week That Was, died aged 81 in January.
He left the bulk of his £2.6million estate to his only son Jamie, in a will which means he should receive about £1.4million after inheritance tax.
The actor wrote the will in 2007, saying his son, who was 22 at the time, would get £155,000 immediately with the rest put in trust until he reached 30, as ‘I do not want this sum to be blown away on frivolities’.
He added: ‘Jamie, do not worry, I love you more than anything, but too much money too soon may easily ruin anyone of your age. You WILL receive the total amount.’ In fact, Jamie, a sales executive, turned 30 just 18 days after his father died.
But the Carry On star also mistakenly wrote that his son would turn 30 in 2025 instead of 2015, which could lead to a legal headache if another beneficiary decides to take action. Percival also left £110,000 each to his sisters Elizabeth Durham, 87, and Penelope Stock, 84.