Say what you want about George Steinbrenner, but he was a hell of a businessman. From turning a tiny initial investment in the Yankees into a billion-dollar franchise, to starting his own regional sports network, rarely did the man make a business mistake. The pattern continued even until his death:
Because no one really knows his estate plan or the extent of his holdings, it’s hard to tell how much money he saved by going in 2010, but the back-of-the-envelope calculations in the linked article figure that, at a minumum, Big Stein’s heirs have saved $300 million+ by him passing in 2010 instead of 2009 or 2011.
By dying in 2010, the billionaire and long-time New York Yankees owner’s wealth avoids the federal estate tax, likely saving his heirs enough money to field an entire team of Alex Rodriguezes.
Steinbrenner’s death Tuesday came during an unplanned year-long gap in the estate tax, the first since it was enacted in 1916. Political wrangling has stalemated efforts in Congress to replace the tax that expired in 2009.
Suggestion: whatever big free agent the Yankees sign this winter be given the nickname “tax break” or “death tax” or something like that.
