Granddaughter wants share of Einstein estate profits
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem owns the rights to the likeness of German-born physicist Albert Einstein.
February 10th, 2011
07:54 PM ET

Granddaughter wants share of Einstein estate profits

Albert Einstein made many contributions to modern science, but it's the videos, bobblehead dolls and Halloween masks using his image that continue to generate millions of dollars long after his death. 

But his granddaughter, Evelyn, said she hasn't received a dime from the marketing and sales of Einstein merchandise, while others have profited.

"I'm outraged," said the younger Einstein, who says she is a 69-year-old cancer survivor and needs the money for health care. "It's hard for me to believe they would treat the family the way they have, which has been abysmally."

Her grandfather, the German-born physicist who formulated the general theory of relativity, bequeathed the literary rights for the more than 75,000 papers and other items in his estate to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem when he died in 1955.

The Israeli university owns the rights to his likeness, using a Los Angeles-based company called Greenlight, LLC to handle licensing for items such as Einstein apparel, mugs, puzzles, coins, posters and other collectibles.

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soundoff (25 Responses)
  1. Just say'n

    The relativity theory attributed to Albert may actually have been written by Mileva, his first wife. The signed original was lost so we'll never know for sure. She made better grades and worked tirelessly with him on it until the children started coming and... he never made any contributions of equal consequence to science after that.

    February 15, 2011 at 5:22 pm | Report abuse |
    • Antonymous

      EVIDENCE, please?

      March 14, 2013 at 3:30 am | Report abuse |
  2. Randy Dowdy

    Money hungry , greedy girl. What did she do to deserve any money? NOTHING! He left it to the University. So that is where it belongs!

    February 15, 2011 at 9:46 pm | Report abuse |
  3. MassiveMarbles

    Maybe you should get a lawyer, but it appears that Einstein left everything to society and didn't plan ahead financially. He was a scientist, not a businessman.

    February 17, 2011 at 3:40 pm | Report abuse |
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