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And Finally
Late label chief leaves a million for his chauffeur
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 1 February 2012
The late founder of US independent label Wind-Up Records has left big money in his will for his former chauffeur and the doorman at the New York apartment block where the former label chief lived.
Alan Meltzer, who founded Wind-Up, now one of the world’s leading independent labels, in 1997, died somewhat suddenly from undisclosed causes last October. He left a $10 million estate, and allocated $1 million to his former chauffeur Jean Laborde and $500,000 to doorman Chamil Demiraj.
Asked about his windfall, Laborde told reporters: “[Meltzer] was always joking. He never looked down on anybody. He was such a nice guy. He left me money, but it’s not a good deal for me because it means he’s no longer here”.
Meanwhile Demiraj said: “He was a generous guy. He was a really good friend of mine, and I was a good friend of his. It’s a surprise. Peace and rest to him. That’s all I can say”.
Meltzer’s former staff are benefiting partly from the Wind-Up boss’s divorce from his ex-wife Diana. She was a co-founder of the Wind-Up business, but split from her husband and former business partner somewhat acrimoniously in 2010.
But the ex-wife insisted she didn’t care that she wasn’t benefiting from her former husband’s will, delivering a fantastic statement to the New York Post as follows: “He can leave it to whoever he wants to. I’m doing fine. I could[n’t] care less. If he wants to give it to the bums, he can give it to the bums. He could fuck a nun. I couldn’t give a shit. He can give his money to whoever he wants. We’re divorced. The man is dead”.
