Jimmy Buffett‘s widow, Jane Buffett, is suing to remove the co-trustee from her late husband’s $275 million estate, according to filing documents obtained by Variety.
Buffett is seeking to remove Richard A. Mozenter from his role in managing the late singer’s estate, which, according to Bloomberg, includes a 20 percent stake in Margaritaville, as well as “property, airplanes and fine art,” along with other assets.
In the filings, she accused Mozenter of being “openly hostile and adversarial” toward her since Buffett died in September 2023.
She also claims he took 16 months to provide her with an estimated income from the estate, and when he finally did deliver information about her finances, he told her that the trust would only provide her with less that $2 million annually, a projection so low that the filing documents described it as “shocking.”
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Buffett’s legal team is seeking Mozenter’s removal from her estate due to an alleged history of “unprofessional and combative communications” from him, and they are claiming he “is either not competent to administer the trust or unwilling to act in [Buffett’s] best interests.”
Who Took Control of Jimmy Buffett’s Estate After His Death?
Jimmy Buffett died on Sept. 1, 2023 at the age of 76. His cause of death was subsequently reported as skin cancer that turned into lymphoma.
Variety reports that the singer’s estate plan, most recently updated in 2023, left his wife as the sole beneficiary. Mozenter became co-trustee of the estate after his death.
The new filing indicates that Jane Buffett met with Mozenter a month after her husband died, when she asked him to provide “an analyzed projection of her future income from the trust.” According to the documents, Mozenter didn’t return the information for 16 months, and he allegedly spent those months “stonewalling” and “making excuses.”
Buffett says that in February 2025, Mozenter gave her a projection stating that the estate would earn her under $2 million annually. Variety reports that that was a major surprise, since Margaritaville has generated $14 million over the last 18 months alone.
How Did Jane Buffett Respond?
Buffett says that prior to filing her lawsuit, she sent Mozenter a 13-page letter detailing her concerns about his role. She says she requested access to projected Margaritaville earnings, but that Mozenter only directed her to the estate’s tax return. She also says that Mozenter warned her he had retained legal counsel to represent him in his response to her letter.
Elsewhere, Buffett’s legal documents say that Mozenter had billed the estate for $1.75 million for his services in the year before.
The interior centers around a combined dining and living room with eye-popping vaulted ceilings topped off by skylights, while a massive wall of mahogany-framed sliding glass doors looks out over the pool area outside. The kitchen is decorated in gleaming white, and each of the bedrooms has its own attached bathroom, while the massive master suite also has sliding glass doors that open to both the pool and a bathroom that looks like it belongs in a high-end resort.
The exterior of the house is just as striking, centered around a sparkling pool of deep cobalt blue. The pool area features plenty of lounging, and a loggia just outside the living room offers open-air dining. There are lush gardens, brick paths that walk through elaborate pergolas and a fountain. The property also features a two-car garage with a guest suite overhead, and it offers deeded access to the beach nearby.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker