The unknown legacy of a famous person.

Some people really do make an impact on this world.

Not only in life but long after they’re gone, I was reading this and

So where is Carson’s money going? Throughout his life, Carson gave to AIDS charities, environmental groups, schools, and foundations benefiting his home state, Nebraska. Incidentally, Nebraska is home to another big charitable giver, billionaire Warren Buffett, who has pledged billions to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

According to the Smoking Gun, Carson's foundation, which is overseen by a financial management team, has doled out or earmarked gifts to the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles free clinic, and Planned Parenthood, among others.

 I bet you didn’t know that about Johnny Carson now did you?

Who inherited Johnny Carson’s estate?

You are probably wondering where all of Johnny Carson’s millions went after his untimely demise. During his lifetime, Johnny Carson donated millions to different charities. He founded the John W. Carson Foundation and donated between $1-$2 million. How did he distribute his wealth after death?

His estate worth $300 million was divided between his widow, Alexis Maas, and his two sons, Cory and Chris. On top of this, he left a massive amount of his wealth to different charities, one of the biggest ($156 million) going to The Johnny Carson Foundation.

However, the value of the trust going to the foundation remained a secret for five years. It wasn't until August 30, 2010, that the institution discovered the value of the trust. This was after the IRS forced his lawyers to disclose the assets in their tax return.

During his death, the trust had $35 million in cash and $121 million in securities. It had grown to $200 million after appreciating for five years. The massive amount made Johnny's foundation one of the most prominent celebrity foundations in the world. On top of this, Johnny left $4 million to the Los Angeles Children's Hospital.

The only reason for this post was that we often don’t know what good people do behind the scenes. I never knew that about Johnny Carson and I have to say in learning it my respect for the man increases enormously because it was an incredibly way to make a difference in the lives of so many.

This was another unfinished draft from August of 2010.