Claire Olivia "Clea" Newman, the youngest Newman child, was born in April 1965 and went on to earn a law degree from Sarah Lawrence College. While producing "Big Little Lies" and "Mad Men," she also assisted in their post-production.
She has also been credited as the producer for "The Big C" and "Sharp Objects." Her dad helped start the organization that her spouse now runs as CEO, Safe Water Network.
The producer pledged in August 2018 to carry on her father's work. Clea said her parents instilled in her and her siblings the importance of contributing to one's community and helping those less fortunate from an early age.
But what exactly did she inherit from her father to make that advocacy happen?
Why Paul Newman Almost Didn’t Leave Any Money To His Kids
Paul's oldest daughter Susan claims her father made it clear he would not leave an inheritance to his kids because he thought having access to a large sum of money would make them irresponsible adults.
"When we were children, our father informed us there would be no inheritance. He said large sums of money eroded your ambition and mostly sabotaged your life."
Susan elaborated by saying that she and her siblings accepted that, though they understood that it didn't rule out the possibility of financial support in the future.
She disclosed that when she was in her mid-30s, her father held a family meeting and promised to provide for his children. The actress claimed that Woodward Newman, her father's wife, played a role in his choice to leave them a portion of his estate.
The "Hustler" star started giving his five daughters $30,000 apiece to donate to charities of their choosing in the hopes that they would continue in his philanthropic footsteps.
After his passing, the proud father intended to leave his daughters $500,000 each via separate foundations named Newman's Own Foundation.
His will and trust originally provided that half of his fortune would go to each of his children's foundations and the other half would go to Woodward, his wife.
Newman had an estimated net worth of $80 million, as reported by Celebrity Net Worth. His estate is worth even more, approximately $600 million.
Let’s do some math. 50% of $600 million is $300 million, and if divided by six children, that would be a whopping $50 million for Claire Newman and her siblings. However, this is the full estimate of his estate, so the residual amount would entail a different number. But does it matter? Anything substantially rough of $50 million is still a ridiculously high amount.
Claire Olivia Newman And Her Siblings Felt Betrayed By The CEO Of Her Father’s Foundation
When Paul's will was delivered at his funeral, it contradicted everything he and his advisers had said previously.
The majority of the promises made to the girls were broken. Bob Forrester, the CEO of the Newman's Own Foundation, said that their father had a change of heart, so it is unclear whether or not one or two girls will serve as board members on a revolving basis.
He claimed that Paul had never thought of Newman's Own as a family business. Instead, he was always thinking of the greater good. Forrester confirmed that at one point, Paul considered having one daughter serve a fixed-term appointment on each board.
Woodward's marital trust received the millions that were supposed to go to their charities. Additionally, the daughter's foundations would not receive money until after her passing to guarantee her proper care.
When they requested Forrester for more meetings, he reportedly became less and less engaging, giving them the impression that he had been given the keys to their father's fortune. "The keys had practically been given to one man, Bob Forrester," she said.
Claire disclosed that prior to her father’s passing, Forrester gave numerous sermons emphasizing the importance of honesty. After Paul's death, however, everything else changed, and when she and her sisters questioned the shift, they were labeled as rude and argumentative.
A flare-up allegedly occurred when they requested a meeting with him. After Forrester took over the foundation, he ordered all of the employees to keep quiet, making it difficult for the kids to get any information.
He subsequently admitted that nondisclosure agreements had been signed by employees, business partners, advisors, and board members. Before Claire and her siblings filed the will for probate, they contemplated asking for a 10-day postponement.
They consulted with several attorneys about the petition and concluded that asking for clarification on the alterations was not inappropriate. But Forrester was uncooperative, and he even warned Paul’s daughters that they risked being disinherited if they challenged the will.
Susan, the eldest child, believed it was her duty to carry out her father's wishes and protect his legacy because she was the keeper of his name.
Susan elaborated by saying that although her father's foundation is still a powerful force in the world of philanthropy, not everyone is convinced that it is carrying out Paul's original vision.
Despite all the back and forth, the true nature of his will may remain a mystery. On the plus side, Forrester has since been removed from the foundation.
Claire Olivia Newman Continues Her Father’s Legacy
Clea Newman doesn't recall a time when her famous father, Paul Newman, wasn't having a positive impact on the world. Soon after Clea’s 1988 college graduation, Paul established SeriousFun Children's Network, formerly known as The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps.
In 2008, Clea Newman's renowned father died of lung cancer, and she took his place as the face of SeriousFun. She is also a board member at Newman's Own, her family's food business that donates all of its post-tax profits to charity.
At the age of 51, she has aided in providing "serious fun" for over 732,000 sick children and their families.
"I hope he would be proud of me, but I also know he had a very tough work ethic," Clea said. "I think he'd pat me on the shoulder and say, 'You got a really nice start, sweetie, keep going.'"
Founded in 1988, the SeriousFun Children's Network sponsors summer camps for kids with life-threatening diseases, where they can play, gain self-esteem, and receive emotional and practical support for their families.
Because the Newman's Own Foundation covers all administrative expenses, 100% of donations are distributed to Newman's Own-affiliated camps and programs worldwide.
"It's truly an honor to be a part of my father's legacy," she said, "and to move forward with these extraordinary camps that were my dad's vision."
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