Just weeks before he died in Brazil, Oliver Tree opened up about the financial arrangements outlined in his will.
The American alt-pop singer, known for his viral online persona and genre-blending hits, was one of six people killed when two helicopters collided mid-air above Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. He was 32.
During an April episode of the Zach Sang Show, the “Miss You” singer shared his perspective on his financial success, saying, “I don’t believe that any of the wealth, or the things that get made from it, is mine.
“So when I die, my will is set up that when I pass, my family, no one’s going to get a penny. If I have a wife, kids, not getting a f***ing penny. I’ll get my kids through college. That’s the agreement. But there’s not going to be a silver spoon. They’re taken care of because my dad worked on some stuff in the 2000s. The idea is, when I die, all the money is going to go back to artists,” he continued.
Tree said he had set up a foundation called Dr. Oliver Tree’s Art Grants for Baby Geniuses to collect the interest made from his music.
“But there’s also room for other money, because when I die, my art will have residual value and will probably be worth more than it is now,” he continued. “People will finally appreciate my stupid f***ng videos and my stupid f***ing songs. That’s when people appreciate you, when you’re not there anymore.”
Tree declared that the money made from his foundation will go towards “the physical making of art.”
“You’re not allowed to buy equipment with the money. You’re not allowed to go get education and school for the money,” he said. “You have to physically hire people to physically produce stuff, and you’re allowed to rent equipment to make things.
“I have basically a committee that I’ve set up when I pass, and I plan to do it while I’m alive, where everyone will vote on who the money goes to each year, and it will be in the spirit of the Oliver Tree project.”
Along with Tree, the victims identified in the helicopter crash were passengers Lucas Brito Chaves, Gaspar Prim and Lucas Vignale, and pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac, CNN Brazil reported. One helicopter carried five people, while the other carried just its pilot.
The Military Fire Department announced that one of the aircraft plummeted onto a car dealership, sparking a fire among parked electric vehicles, which was subsequently brought under control. An official investigation has been launched to determine what caused the fatal crash.
Born Oliver Tree Nickell on June 29, 1993, in Santa Cruz, California, the singer-songwriter first gained a following online through his eccentric alter ego, Turbo, becoming one of Vine’s breakout personalities.
Known for his signature bowl cut, oversized jeans and brightly coloured outfits, Tree began making music as a teenager before finding wider success with the viral 2016 hit “When I’m Down.”
Tree had recently embarked on a world tour in support of his fourth studio album, Love You Madly, Hate You Badly, which began in Mexico City on May 30. He performed in São Paulo on June 6 and was due to take the stage in Lisbon, Portugal, on July 1.
Oliver Tree dies after helicopters collide over Rio de Janeiro, killing six
Tributes paid to singer Oliver Tree after fatal helicopter crash in Brazil
Drummer Stewart Copeland was ‘heartbroken’ after The Police milestone
Rod Stewart faces criticism for attending World Cup game after canceling concert
Ronnie Wood told ‘paint it black’ over pink door at £7m London home
Abba’s longtime manager and ‘fifth member’ Görel Hanser dies aged 76
