Tupac Shakur, the rapper better known by his stage name “2Pac,” died on September 13, 1996, from gunshot wounds he received in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. Now, more than a quarter of a century later, 2Pac’s sister, Sekyiwa Shakur, along with the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation, are suing the executor and special trustee of their mother’s estate and trust for allegedly embezzling millions of dollars from the estate of Afeni Shakur-Davis, which consists primarily of assets from the late rapper.
In addition to embezzlement, the lawsuit claims Tom Whalley—who has also been serving as the executor of 2Pac’s estate since Afeni’s death—refused to turn over certain personal items that formerly belonged to 2Pac and were left to Sekyiwa by Afeni. The suit further alleges Whalley hired himself as the manager of Amaru Entertainment, the record label Afeni founded a year after 2Pac’s death to release 2Pac’s posthumous albums, but Whalley contends Afeni assigned him to oversee Amaru prior to her death. It was through this management position that Whalley paid himself more than $5.5 million.
In North Carolina, an executor has a fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the estate. Likewise, trustees in North Carolina have a fiduciary duty to administer the trust solely in the interests of the beneficiaries. Taking actions that could be seen as breaching these duties can result in a host of legal claims against the executor/trustee by the beneficiaries, as Whalley is finding out in the Afeni Davis-Shakur estate and trust dispute.
One does not have to have a multi-million dollar estate to have arguments arise over assets left behind. Our experienced trust and estate litigation attorneys are well versed in handling such disputes and can aid in reaching a resolution. If you have any questions regarding a trust or estate dispute, please call us at (704) 457-1010 to learn how we might be able to assist you. For more information regarding our firm, attorneys, and practice areas, please visit our website at www.lindleylawoffice.com.
