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Fri 02 Feb 2009Helmsley billions not just for dogs

A US judge has ruled that the multibillion-dollar fortune that late property baroness Leona Helmsley purportedly wanted donated exclusively for the care of dogs can be used for other charitable purposes as well.

Helmsley’s fortune had been estimated at $5 billion to $8 billion after her death, although the shrinking value of property in recent times has certainly eroded it.