It’s been four days since music legend Prince passed away, and we’re still left with more questions than answers.
Theories about Prince’s cause of death began circulating just hours after news of his passing went public, but it may be weeks before autopsy and toxicology reports are released to the public.
However, multiple insiders have confirmed that the enigmatic entertainer was struggling both emotionally and physically in his final days and may have even known his death was coming.
TMZ reported last week that Prince overdosed on Percocet just days before his death, forcing his private plane to make an emergency landing so that EMTs could restart his heart.
Now, the site is reporting that in addition to his alleged substance abuse issues, the iconic singer and songwriter was struggling with financial issues in his final days.
Insiders tell TMZ that Prince was cash-strapped mainly as a result of his refusal to license any of his music.
For artists with catalogs as large and beloved as Prince’s licensing and royalties can bring in millions a year.
The sources claim Prince’s notions about artistic integrity led him to refuse virtually every lucrative financial opportunity that came his way in his final years.
That meant that his primary source of revenue was concerts.
The problem there was that Prince was so impulsive he would often put on performances with little notice or fanfare, which severely limited his profits.
It was originally reported that the singer’s sister Tyka Nelson would inherit his $ 300 million estate but those closest to Prince believe that figure to be way off base.
Industry experts have slashed the number in half, and even a $ 150 estimate is based on how much Prince would’ve profited if he’d sold the rights to his music, which again – he rarely did.
So Tyka might be inheriting one of the most valuable bodies of work in the history of pop music, but in order to profit from it, she may have to go against her brother’s ideals.
