New York, NY – Relativity is lost on the university that owns the lucrative rights to Albert Einstein’s name but doesn’t give a dime to his family.
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“Everyone assumes I’m filthy rich, and they think I have a mental problem because I’m not using my money,” the late scientist’s granddaughter, Evelyn Einstein, told The Post.
When the iconic genius died in 1955 at age 76, he bequeathed the literary rights in his estate to Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The school later trademarked Einstein’s name, and last year alone made $10 million from licensing fees.
“I never made any issue of the fact that they were willed the literary estate,” Evelyn said. “But what does a bobblehead have to do with a literary estate? I was really offended by some of the stuff that was being OK’d.”
Evelyn, 69, and in poor health, said she never knew how much her grandfather’s name was worth until 2008, when Forbes magazine released its list of highest-earning deceased celebrities. That year, Albert Einstein’s name and likeness raked in $18 million.
Evelyn said when she approached officials at Hebrew University about sharing the profits, she was “rudely blown off.”
The university did not respond to requests for comment.
“I don’t want to be rich,” she said. “I don’t want huge amounts of money. I’d like to move into an assisted-living facility that isn’t dangerous.”
thisoman deserves a share of that money as she stated they are making millions from his image and not his intellectual rights
She needs to fight this with her “Einstein-brain” – just be “be smart”.
She can make millions more by her own marketing the negative side of the university being so disgusting about it.
If she is to ill to do it herself she can get someone to help her and share the profit.
The point being that right now, not only is the name Einstein worth 18 million per year but the university is also a celebrity because of this.
If this scientist’s granddaughter, Evelyn Einstein wants to just “kvetch” she will not earn one cent because the university is greedy but if she makes a big organized effort to show the truth and publicize how the suffers poverty while the university are PIGS and don’t give her 1 cent, she will cause MILLIONS is losses and in Bizyonos to the university and the university will gladly settle just to “shut her up”.
She just needs to show that she has 1 millionth of the brains of Einstein and use it to her advantage here:
BE SMART, Evelyn Einstein!
And why should the university give her anything. If it’s legally theirs then too bad. If it’s not then she should claim it all.
Einstein obviously did not want to leave it for the grandchildren or family. He signed it away. What does it mean that she wants something that is not hers. She sounds like a Kurchiner. You either deserve it fair and square and then she should get as much as she can. Or if not derserved she should get nothing.
I think this university should show some respect to a cherity they received to forward the charity to its donor!
I don’t know how the University was able to trademark the Einstein name when all they had were the literary rights to his estate. It appears to me that whoever approved that trademark made a huge mistake and the descendants of Albert Einstein shouldn’t have to suffer losses because of that. I wonder if they can now fight that trademark or if it’s too late. It wouldn’t surprise me if several lawyers contacted Evelyn Einstein after reading this article. Good luck to her.
Ms. Einstein should patent the name “Tzveistein” ASAP.
Einstein’s personal life was a mess, Evelyn is an adopted daughter of the son of his first non-Jewish wife. According to halacha there is no relationship, Hebrew U could go to a bais din. And Albert, dear tzadik that he was, did everything possible to stop this son from getting any money from him and avoided seeing him in the US.
Albert alav hacholent, was actually married to a Gypsy and his children were from this first marriage.
It is a bit strange that he left his estate to Hebrew U when he felt no connection (in his own words) to The Jewish People.
The fledgling Israeli state actually offered him the post of president which he turned down!
If she is such a genius, why doesn’t she just use her own name – Evelyn EINSTEIN to make some money – oh wait – she is not a genius and just wants something thats not hers for free.
my comments may not be published but there true.prof. einstein was a great genius in physics and a mentch but neive as we all are in many ways.the israeli gov.has garnered monies due to holocaust survivers and made many arbitary decisions with money due to rightfull owners.that being said since einstein legaly endowed the university with his name there is nothing the offspring can due.cept cry chai v’kiyam.prof. einstein was also in favor of self disarmement.a suicide mentality in the real world.
And why should the university give her anything. If it’s legally theirs then too bad. If it’s not then she should claim it all.
Contrary to what poster no. 10 said, Einstein did feel a connection to the Jewish people, and always disdained those Jews who pretended they were gentiles.
It is not a coincidence that he allowed Yeshiva University to use his name for its medical school, nor that he donated what he did to Hebrew University. In fact, he came to the U.S. in the 1920s to raise money for Hebrew University, along with Zionist Chaim Weizmann, who later became Israel’s first president.
Throw the old woman a bone, have a heart!
Why is this story news?
Einstein’s descendants have no right to the money because Einstein chose not to give it to them. I have no idea what “literary rights” are, but if that includes his name and likeness, then so be it.
It’s sad that this person didn’t make something of herself. I suppose now she will find some shyster to contest Einstein’s will so she can get something undeserved.