Bernard Lafferty (14 April 1945 – 4 November 1996) was an Irish butler and heir to American tobacco heiress and philanthropist,

Doris Duke Doris Duke (November 22, 1912 – October 28, 1993) was an American billionaire tobacco heiress, philanthropist, art collector, horticulturalist, and socialite. She was often called "the richest girl in the world". Her great wealth, luxurious ...

. Duke hired Lafferty in 1987 and named him the executor of her $1.2 billion estate six months prior to her death in October 1993. Their unorthodox relationship sparked controversy and speculation, although no charges were ever filed against Lafferty regarding her death.

Early life

Bernard Lafferty was born on April 14, 1945, in

Creeslough Creeslough ( , locally ; ga, An Craoslach ) is a village in County Donegal, Ireland, south of Dunfanaghy on the N56 road. The small village overlooks an arm of Sheephaven Bay, with the population of the surrounding area engaged mainly in a ...

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. He was the only child of Edward Lafferty (1901-1964) and Angela McCalliog (1915-1965). He was a first cousin of Scottish former footballer Jim McCalliog. He moved to Glasgow, Scotland, with his mother shortly after his father's death in September 1964. Lafferty was orphaned at 20 years old when his mother was hit by a motorcycle the following August.

Career and Doris Duke

Lafferty emigrated to the United States to live with his aunt in Philadelphia around 1980. Lafferty became the

maître d' ''Maître'' (spelled ''Maitre'' according to post-1990 spelling rules) is a commonly used honorific for lawyers, judicial officers and notaries in France, Belgium, Switzerland and French-speaking parts of Canada. It is often written in its abbr ...

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. He befriended many famous and influential people during his tenure, including

Sophia Loren Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress. She was named by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest female stars of Classical Hollywood ci ...

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and

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalis ...

. Duke made Lafferty the executor of her estate six months before she died in 1993. After Duke's death, Lafferty managed her many philanthropic endeavors as directed in her will. Lafferty relinquished control as co-executor of the Duke estate in a 1995 settlement with Duke's disinherited adopted daughter.

Death

Lafferty purchased a $2.5 million mansion in Bel Air, where he resided until he died, three years later in his sleep of a heart attack in 1996. As specified in his will, Lafferty's ashes were scattered off Hawaii, where he had previously scattered Duke's ashes.

In popular culture

In 1999, Lafferty was portrayed by

Richard Chamberlain George Richard Chamberlain (born March 31, 1934) is an American actor and singer, who became a teen idol in the title role of the television show '' Dr. Kildare'' (1961–1966). He subsequently appeared in several TV mini-series, such as ''Shō ...

in a four-part television miniseries titled, '' Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke''. In 2007, HBO Films produced a semi-fictional film about Duke and Lafferty in a movie titled '' Bernard and Doris'', starring

Susan Sarandon Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actorMcCabe, Bruce"Susan Sarandon, the 'actor'" ''Boston Globe''. April 17, 1981. Retrieved January 21, 2021. and activist. She is the recipient of various accolades, ...

and

Ralph Fiennes Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes ( ; born 22 December 1962) is an English actor, film producer, and director. A Shakespeare interpreter, he excelled onstage at the Royal National Theatre before having further success at the Royal S ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lafferty, Bernard American butlers People from Creeslough American tobacco industry executives People from Hillsborough Township, New Jersey 1945 births 1996 deaths Irish emigrants to the United States People from Beverly Hills, California 20th-century American philanthropists