PAUL O’Grady left behind a multi-million pound television fortune when he tragically died, new documents have revealed.
The comic icon and For The Love Of Dogs star had amassed profits of a whopping £8.4million for Buster Productions – a private firm he used to channel his earnings.
Paul’s fortune has now come to light after updated figures were filed by his close friend and agent, Joan Marshrons, to Companies House this week.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Paul – who was 67 when he died – had instructed Joan to look after his five pet dogs in his will.
Paul had set up Buster Productions, which he named after his dog Buster, in 2001 and over the years he built up an impressive TV legacy.
He earned his money from his glittering telly career, including from his own series – The Paul O’Grady Show – which ran from 2004 to 2015.
He also hosted Blind Date, Paul O’Grady’s Animal Orphans and Paul O’Grady’s Great British Escape. Paul O’Grady’s Great Elephant Adventure aired following his passing.
Prior to his death, Paul had spent 11 years at the helm of ITV1’s Paul O’Grady: For The Love Of Dogs, which focused on the tireless work at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.
But long before this, the comic had made an entire career while playing his drag queen alter-ego Lily Savage. Paul hosted shows including The Big Breakfast, Blankety Blank and Lily Live! as Savage.
In the year before he died, Paul earned an impressive £1.7million alone. But he stopped being the director of Buster Productions on March 28 last year, which is the day he died.
He had been due to start a lucrative new radio show just days later.
Paul’s cause of death was later ruled as sudden cardiac arrhythmia. This happens when a person dies from a cardiac arrest, and no obvious cause can be found.
Earlier this year, it was revealed Paul had left a staggering £15.5million in his will – with £125,000 set aside for his five pet dogs.
He also left half a million pounds to the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.
Animal lover Paul left a total of £775,000 to organisations close to his heart, including donations of £50,000 to elephant and orangutan charities.
He also gave £50,000 to the Salvation Army, whom he’d been a lifelong fan of as a result of them helping the needy in his native Liverpool when he was growing up.
A friend close to Paul said at the time: “This is typical of Paul as he put his money where his mouth was by leaving cash to charities that had special meaning to him.
“And though £125,000 seems like a lot of money to spend on his dogs, they also meant the world to him and he wanted to ensure they always receive the best love and care.”
The bulk of Paul’s estate is expected to go to his widower, Andre Portasio, his daughter Sharon Mousley and his sister Sheila Rudd.
Other recipients of the will, which he created in 2017, include Joan as well as nine other people, including his godchildren Milo and Otis Sainsbury.
Buster Production’s latest accounts were overdue in their filing at Companies House. But Joan signed them off on July 29 and filed them on Wednesday.
They run for 12 months, ending on May 31, 2023. As a result, they include two months of trading following Paul’s death.
As well as £8,373,927 in ongoing profits they also report £8,856,461 worth of assets.
The late comedy star’s firm sitting on £7,655,150 worth of investments and £1,167,333 in monies due in, as well as £33,978 in cash.
Accounting notes reporting the purchase of £74,366 worth of stocks and shares during the year, as well as a £266,584 loss on the on its listed investments.
Despite the downturn in its city assets accounts, Buster Productions had returned a final profit for Paul.
Paul was said to have been smoking a cannabis joint when he died peacefully at his home.
Speaking at a star-studded memorial for the telly great last October, his husband Andre recalled: “We’d had a very ordinary day, just watching TV together at home, when Paul said he wanted to make a ‘cup of tea,’ and that was our little code for rolling a spliff.
“So Paul went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, brought it back, lit it and started smoking it – and that was our last time together, the last thing we did. He passed away there in his chair.”
