Nelson Mandela Leaves Ex-Wife Winnie With Nothing In His Will.

While Nelson Mandela left more than $4 million to family members, former staff, schools and the African National Congress, he excluded his former wife of 38 years out of his will. That’s right, the former South African President left Winnie Madikizela-Mandela without a dime.
The details of Mandela’s $4.1 million will were announced during a news conference today. He gave his three surviving children $300,000 each, his grandchildren between $9,000 and $300,000 each, and his nine staff members all received $4,500.


The beneficiaries also included the two children of his third wife Graça Machel, who is now entitled to half of his estate. In the will, he requested for his grandchildren to live in his Johannesburg home, which would “also serve as a place of gathering of the Mandela and Machel family in order to maintain its unity long after my death.”
Winnie’s omission was such a shocker because she supported Mandela’s anti-apartheid movement during his imprisionment, which lasted for most of their marriage. The 77-year-old, affectionally known as “Mother of the Nation,” was also tortured and thrown in jail for her strong views and activism. Although she and Mandela divorced in 1996, she was bedside when he died, alongside Machel.
According to reports, the will was drawn up 10 years ago and revised in 2005 and 2008.