Sekyiwa Shakur, Tupac’s Sister, is suing Tom Whalley and claiming the executor of “embezzling” millions for his own benefit.
In a lawsuit filed Monday (Jan 10) in Los Angeles court, Sekyiwa Shakur and The Tupac Shakur Foundation accused Tom Whalley of “blatant violations” of his duties as the executor of Afeni Shakur-Davis’s estate. Part of the violations is allegedly installing himself in a key management role despite a conflict of interest.
After Tupac’s passing, his mother Afeni Shakur was named as a beneficiary of his estate. When Afeni died in 2016, Whalley was then named as the executor of her estate.
“He has effectively embezzled millions of dollars for his own benefit,” Sekyiwa wrote. “Whalley has unreasonably enriched himself at the expense of the beneficiaries and in bad faith by taking excessive compensation in a position from which he should properly be barred based on the inherent conflict of interest.”
According to the lawsuit, Whalley refuses to relinquish personal property that includes the Tupac’s cars, jewelery, artwork and gold records.
“Whalley has already received more than $5.5 million that he has paid himself in the last five years through Amaru,” Sekyiwa wrote. “It is clear that he has used and abused his powers as executor and special trustee of the estate and the trust to convert the personal property belonging to Sekyiwa as a piggy bank from which he has drawn substantial funds for his own benefit.”
Howard King who represents Tom Whalley in the case, said Whalley appointed to manage Amaru before Afeni’s passing, not after. “These legal claims are disappointing and detrimental to all beneficiaries of the trust,” King said. “We are confident the court will promptly conclude that Tom has always acted in the best interests of Amaru, the trust, and all beneficiaries.”
Whalley first met Tupac I’m the early nineties. After signing Tupac, Whalley would A&R Tupac’s debut album, 2Pacalypse Now. Whalley also A&R many of Tupac’s posthumous albums.
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Shakur v. Whalley by Billboard
