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What Is Charles Manson Net Worth’ Net Worth?
Charles Manson, the infamous American criminal and musician, had a net worth of approximately $400,000 at the time of his death. This figure, however, is a complex subject, as Manson was legally barred from profiting from his crimes or image after his 1971 conviction. The estimated net worth primarily stems from alleged hidden assets and earnings accumulated through illicit means during his incarceration.
Alleged Hidden Fortune and Income Sources
Despite the legal restrictions placed upon him, claims surfaced regarding a hidden fortune amassed by Charles Manson during his 45+ years in prison. According to claims made by an estranged son (fathered through rape in 1967), Manson allegedly accumulated several hundred thousand dollars by selling paintings, T-shirts, photos, interviews, and other memorabilia through various websites. These online ventures were purportedly operated indirectly, as Manson was unable to directly access or benefit from the funds.
These claims gained traction in 2014 when Manson was engaged to Afton Elaine Burton. It was alleged that Burton’s motives for marrying Manson were to gain access to this hidden fortune. However, the marriage never materialized. Officially, Charles Manson was not entitled to any income from music royalties, image licensing, book royalties, or media appearances. During his incarceration, he received a modest monthly stipend of $35 from the prison.
Early Life and Criminal Trajectory
Charles Manson was born Charles Milles Maddox on November 12, 1934, in Cincinnati, Ohio. His mother, Ada Kathleen Maddox, was only 15 years old at the time of his birth. His biological father remains largely unknown. Ada married William Eugene Manson in August 1934, granting Charles the Manson surname despite their divorce in 1937.
Manson’s troubled childhood involved early offenses and institutionalization. At the age of nine, he reportedly set his school on fire. By 13, he was placed in the Gibault School for Boys in Indiana, a reform school run by Catholic priests. His pattern of running away and committing petty crimes continued, leading to placements in various juvenile facilities, including Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska, and the Indiana Boys School. At the latter, he was allegedly subjected to abuse and ran away multiple times.
In 1951, Manson was charged with a federal crime for driving a stolen car across state lines, resulting in his imprisonment at Natural Bridge Honor Camp. He was later transferred to the Federal Reformatory and then to a maximum-security reformatory in Ohio. His early release in May 1954 led to a brief period of living with his aunt and uncle. However, he soon resumed his criminal activities, leading to further arrests and incarcerations.
In 1955, Manson married Rosalie Jean Willis, a waitress. Three months after they arrived in Los Angeles in a stolen car, Manson was arrested again on federal charges. Rosalie gave birth to their son, Charles Manson Jr., while Charles was incarcerated. He received parole in September 1958, the same year Rosalie divorced him. By November, he was involved in pimping and receiving support from a 16-year-old girl and another girl from a wealthy family, leading to his arrest and imprisonment in Los Angeles. By the time of his release on March 21, 1967, Manson had spent more than half of his 32 years in correctional institutions.
Cult Formation, Murders, and Trial
After his release from prison in 1967, Charles Manson began attracting a group of followers, primarily young women, around California. This group became known as the Manson Family. Key members included Charles “Tex” Watson, Robert Beausoleil, Mary Brunner, Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Leslie Van Houten.
Manson’s ideology, blending white supremacist beliefs with apocalyptic prophecies, transformed the Manson Family into a doomsday cult. He preached about an impending race war called “Helter Skelter,” derived from the Beatles song, and believed that the murders committed by his followers would hasten the war.
On August 8th and 9th, 1969, Manson’s followers murdered actress Sharon Tate and four others at her home. The following day, they murdered Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Tex Watson and other Manson Family members carried out these murders, allegedly under Manson’s instructions. Although it was later accepted at trial that Manson never explicitly ordered the murders, his behavior and influence were deemed sufficient to warrant a conviction of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Other crimes committed by family members included thefts, assaults, and the attempted assassination of President Gerald Ford.
Manson’s trial began on July 15, 1970. During the proceedings, he carved an “X” into his forehead, and Manson Family members held vigils outside the courthouse. On October 5, 1970, Manson attempted to attack Judge Older in the courtroom with a sharpened pencil but was restrained. On January 25, 1971, Manson, Krenwinkel, and Atkins were found guilty of first-degree murder in all seven of the Tate and LaBianca killings. Van Houten was found guilty of murder in the first degree in the LaBianca killings. On March 29, 1971, all four defendants were sentenced to death.
The Manson murder trial was the longest murder trial in American history at the time, lasting nine and a half months, and it became one of the most publicized criminal cases of the 20th century. The Supreme Court of California temporarily eliminated the state’s death penalty in 1972, commuting his death sentence to life imprisonment. Manson spent much of his life incarcerated at Corcoran State Prison. He died from cardiac arrest resulting from respiratory failure and colon cancer at Mercy Hospital in Bakersfield, California, on November 19, 2017.
Personal Life
In November 2014, Manson obtained a marriage license to marry Afton Elaine Burton, a 26-year-old woman who had been visiting him in prison for at least nine years. Burton, who maintained websites proclaiming Manson’s innocence, claimed that the marriage was delayed due to logistical issues related to Manson’s illness and confinement in a prison medical facility. She expressed hope that the marriage license would be renewed, but the marriage never took place.
