Who will inherit Barbie Hsu’s assets and who will raise her children… are currently widely discussed topics on social networks.
Actress Barbie Hsu died of flu and pneumonia in Japan on February 2, at the age of 49. According to Sohu, she left behind a large fortune, estimated at tens of millions of USD. The actress signed many advertising contracts worth about 4.75 million USD. She also invested heavily in real estate, owning three luxury properties. Over the years, she bought two villas worth a total of 18 million USD in 2016, and a 760 square meter apartment in Xinyi District, Taipei with her husband, Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei, for 12 million USD.
After Yuan and Fei divorced in 2021, Mirror Media estimated that the actor received NT$600 million (US$19 million) from their joint assets. In addition, based on the initial settlement agreement – at the time of the divorce – Barbie Hsu asked the court to force Wang Xiaofei to pay NT$7.5 million in money, living expenses and division of joint assets. Currently, the businessman surnamed Wang is said to still “owe” his ex-wife NT$5.3 million.
One of Barbie Hsu’s properties is located in a building in Xinyi District. Photo: Weibo
Lawyers said the legal heirs to Barbie Hsu’s lavish fortune are DJ Koo, her Korean husband, and her two minor children. Barbie Hsu and DJ Koo registered their marriage in South Korea on February 8, 2022, and are believed to have registered their marriage in Taiwan on March 28 of the same year.
Xu Yushuo, a lawyer specializing in estate and trust management, told NOWnews that if Hy Vien and DJ Koo are confirmed to have registered their marriage in Taiwan, the law stipulates that he can request half of the total marital assets after marriage, tax-free, and the other half will be divided equally between his wife’s two children. In the case of children with Taiwanese nationality, they can inherit the assets of their deceased parents. However, if the children have Chinese nationality, each child will inherit no more than two million TWD.
The lawyer also stressed that businessman Wang Xiaofei is the legal guardian of his two minor children, so he can inherit the assets on their behalf. The lawyer pointed out that the guardian can set up a trust fund for the children, allowing them to access the inheritance when they reach adulthood. However, if the father misuses the money, this could lead to many legal challenges in the future.
Barbie Hsu’s two husbands. Photo: Weibo
Regarding child custody , many experts say this is a “complicated story”. Hy Vien and Uong Tieu Phi divorced in 2021, after many trials, Hy Vien won custody of her two children, 10 and 8 years old respectively.
According to Taiwan’s Civil Code, if one party initially exercises custody of the children after a divorce, if that party dies, the custody of the children will be transferred to the other party. Therefore, the custody of Barbie Hsu’s two children will legally belong to Wang Xiaofei .
The lawyer also pointed out that although Barbie Hsu’s family could go to court to fight for a change in guardianship, unless Xiao Fei compromises, the case would be quite difficult.
Wang Xiaofei and his two children. Photo: Weibo
Barbie Hsu was born in 1976, is a Taiwanese actress and singer known for the TV series Meteor Garden, God of War, Summer Bubble … Since 2012, she has not acted in any films, her personal life is private. After divorcing businessman Wang Xiaofei at the end of 2021, she has not returned, mainly spending time taking care of her children. In 2022, she married DJ Koo , a Korean.
On February 3, local media quoted Barbie Hsu’s younger sister, Barbie Hsu, as saying that the actress died of flu and pneumonia while traveling in Japan during the Lunar New Year holiday.
