The second thing in the envelope was a group of confirmations for different beneficiaries. There was a life insurance policy for sixteen million dollars and a robust retirement plan that named me as the sole beneficiary.
Everything in those documents was outside of the formal succession process. This meant that the money was completely untouchable for Martha and her lawyers.
The third item was a financial summary written in David’s own handwriting. Martha believed the firm was a gold mine, but she never asked about the massive liabilities.
David listed debts to suppliers of over two million dollars and an outstanding claim for professional negligence. There were also overdue payments to the tax authorities and an office lease that was far behind.
The house was also worth far less than it looked because of various loans and notary fees. If the property was sold, it would not make a profit but would actually leave a huge financial hole.
At the bottom of the sheet, he noted that Martha’s loan had no equity stake and no collateral. She had no priority and no guarantee of ever seeing that money again.