Actress Michelle Williams’ dad, stock broker Larry Williams, has agreed to be extradited to the US from Australia to face tax evasion charges after fighting extradition for over two years. It is thought that he owes $1.5 million in back taxes to the US government from unreported book royalties and international seminar fees.
Larry Williams was first arrested for tax evasion in Australia in May, 2006. He successfully appealed the ruling in March of last year and avoided extradition at the time. In April of this year Australia’s high court ruled that it was constitutional to extradite Williams, and over six months later he has finally agreed to return and face charges. Williams says that he will fight the charges and denies that he’s been trying to avoid paying taxes by living overseas.
Williams won the 1987 World Cup Championship of Futures Trading by creating $1.14 million from a real investment of just $10,000. It was the highest earnings ever in the competition. His daughter Michelle won the same competition in 1997 at the age of 16 after earning $100,000 from a $10,000 investment.
Some of William’s published books include 1999’s Long-Term Secrets to Short-Term Trading, 2000’s Day Trade Futures Online, and 2003’s The Right Stock at the Right Time: Prospering in the Coming Good Years.
I wonder how much of an embarrassment this is to Michelle and if she thinks her dad is justified in fighting extradition proceedings for two years. His website for his consulting business, IReallyTrade, is still available. There is a personal message from Larry along with plenty of photos of seminars he conducted in Japan and Singapore. It seems like this guy has been avoiding paying taxes for a long time and will finally face the music. At least he’ll get to see his granddaughter.
[Details from AP via Huffington Post and Wikipedia]
Michelle Williams is shown at the 2008 AFI Fest “Last Chance Harvey Screening” in Hollywood on 11/8/08. Credit: PRPhotos. Photo of Larry Williams from his website
I’m sure she is embarassed, but I’m pretty sure they still talk and have a relationship. After Heath died, Larry was the one making noise about Heath’s will.
I think Michelle used her dad to make sure Matilda’s interests were being looked after by Heath’s family.
When Heath died death, I was very shocked by the aggressiveness of the Williams family and the violence of the attacks Heath’s family had to suffer. Heath’s father said from the very beginning that Mathida’s future will be cared of but, still Williams ‘s lawyers had to bring the subject very loudly and publicly. I don’t know, maybe it is only a matter of cultural differences. But i always feel very uneasy when people shout about money as soon as the -supposely- loved one has passed away. Especially when it comes from people who have enough money to live a few centuries without having to work anyway…I’m afraid this news only establih what i’ve been fearing : They are a greedy family.
That means that Michelle came from a very wealthy family, even before she became a millionaire on her own right.
I don’t understand why was there such need to fight over the will and money left by Heath, if she and her father have ample resources.
I don’t understand why Heath’s co-stars donated their salaries to Matilda when they could have donated it to a charity in Heath’s memory. Michelle has her own money and apparently, so does her family. Why make Matilda out to be some poor fatherless child who might have to grow up in the projects on welfare cheese and government subsidized lunch? I find it borderline insulting to Michelle.
I think it was more on principle than necessity. No one ever inferred that Matilda was going to be destitute without Heath’s money, the point was that she is his heir, she is his daughter. I don’t see how making sure Matilda was given her fair due makes Michelle or her father bad people. The tax evasion thing is his own deal, though.
How is that productive though? Really, what’s the difference between being raised with a $10 M fortune vs. $20 or 25 M? I find giving to something productive in his memory FAR more useful than making sure a rich kid is going to be a super rich kid. It’s just unnecessary. Now, she has their money + Heath’s money + Michelle’s money. How about giving to something Heath cares d about? Michelle can contribute some of her money if she wants to though she’s certainly not obligated as they weren’t together anymore. It’s not her place to give away Matilda’s money so I won’t suggest it. Matilda can do that when she’s older. His co-stars can make such a huge contribution. Maybe give to arts programs so that kids have theater programs available to them.
Diva, This is what bother me: nobody never wanted to deprive Mathilda of her inheritance. Heath’s parents wanted to establish a trust fund so that Mathilda could have the money at her majority. Michelle would rather have the money immediatly. Her right. (Also one could argue that maybe Heath would have prefer his own family over his ex-girlfriend to look after his child’s interests?). Anyway, instead of solving the problem quietly, she and her father choose to publicly bash Heath’s family. They succeeded so well that what everyone remember is is:
1) Heath’s family want to stole poor little Mathilda’s money
2) without this money, the poor child will be left in the street
I really feel sorry for Heath’s parents: they already had lost their son (a beloved one, if you judge by the very beautiful and sensitive letter his father wrote after his death), they didn’t have to suffer this.
Now does that make the Williams “bad people”? I don’t know. But greedy ones, sure. And unclassy, too.
+ I wonder how often does Mathilda see her father’s family?
It’s Mathilda’s right to have her heritage .When she grows up she will see what she does with the money.I believe it’s her call and not Heaths family or Michelle.Its so absurd to think of depriving her right simply because her mothers family has money.With that assumption then every family member of a deceased that has money should be banned from a will? Seriously i can’t believe people are even discussing this.
Michelle is a down to earth women who was emancipated at 15 and from the looks she is doing great raising Matilda who always seems happy and like a regular girl compared to Suri who gives me the creeps.
Anyway her money her choices when she grows up.