A victim of the Titan submersible disaster has left only a small portion of his wealth to his wife due to a legal complication.
The Titan submersible imploded while on a journey to explore the Titanic wreck in the North Atlantic Ocean in June 2023, resulting in the immediate death of all five occupants.
The OceanGate sub was attempting to reach depths of around 12,500 feet to view the renowned shipwreck when it lost communication just one hour and 45 minutes into its descent.
After the submersible failed to reappear, a ‘frantic marine search’ was initiated by the US Coast Guard, but the remains of the sub were found four days later and approximately 500 meters from the Titanic’s bow.
The deceased included British businessman Hamish Harding, 58, 77-year-old former French navy diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet, and 61-year-old American businessman Stockton Rush, whose company, OceanGate, organized the expedition.
Shahzada Dawood, a Pakistani-British businessman, and his 19-year-old son, Suleman Dawood, also perished in the incident. It has been disclosed that the 48-year-old’s wife is left with less than £100,000 due to an issue with his estate documentation.
Shahzada Dawood belonged to one of Pakistan’s wealthiest families, with a business empire generating £1.3 billion annually and possessing billions in assets.
He held the position of vice chairman at Engro Corporation, a company dealing in fertilizer, food, and energy, as well as Dawood Hercules Corporation, known for chemical production, and was a trustee at the SETI Institute, a non-profit research entity.
His son aspired to join his father in the family business based in Karachi and was pursuing studies in business analysis and human resources at Strathclyde University in Glasgow.
Despite this, Shahzada Dawood’s wife, Christine Dawood, who lived with him in the UK, has only been allocated his £76,958 estate ($93,900).
Newly disclosed probate documents indicate that Mr. Dawood’s death occurred without a valid will, as reported by the Daily Star.
Christine Dawood and her two children, Suleman and Alina, who was 17 at the time of the tragedy, reside in the Surrey mansion they shared.
The will specified that Pakistan was Mr. Dawood’s permanent residence, resulting in most of his wealth remaining outside the UK.
Reflecting on the first anniversary of their passing, Christine Dawood expressed in a Facebook post: “When people pass, they take a piece of you with them.”
“As the one-year anniversary is coming closer, I’m reflecting back on a time that nearly broke me, and yet the love and support I’ve received was, and still is, so huge that I can’t feel anything but being grateful.”
“I miss them every day, every hour, every minute, they will never be replaced,” she shared.
She had previously mentioned that the notion of the Titan’s implosion ‘never crossed our minds,’ adding: “To lose a husband is terrible, but when you lose a child.”