The Battle Over Barbie Hsu’s Inheritance
With a total estate valued at $30 million, including multiple valuable properties, the pressing question remains: Who will inherit Barbie Hsu’s fortune after her passing?
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
More than a week has passed since the actress Barbie Hsu passed away, yet the controversies surrounding her inheritance show no signs of subsiding. With an estate worth $30 million, including prime real estate holdings, the central question remains: Who will inherit Barbie Hsu’s wealth?
DJ Koo, Barbie Hsu’s current husband, has publicly stated that he will forgo his inheritance rights and will transfer his share to his mother-in-law, Huang Xuan Mai. He also affirmed his commitment to raising the actress’s two children from her previous marriage.
However, Taiwanese legal experts point out that DJ Koo’s renunciation of inheritance rights is not as straightforward as he claims. According to local laws, if he declines his share, the inheritance will automatically pass to Barbie Hsu’s two children, while her mother has no direct claim. To transfer the assets to Huang Xuan Mai, DJ Koo would first need to accept the inheritance and then gift it to her—a process that would subject him to significant tax liabilities.
This revelation has sparked public debate, with some accusing DJ Koo of making a grand gesture for image purposes. Others defend him, noting that he remained silent and focused on ensuring a dignified farewell for his wife. Additionally, reports suggest that Barbie Hsu and DJ Koo had a prenuptial agreement stipulating that a luxury villa would be transferred to her mother. However, because the agreement was not legally notarized, its validity remains uncertain, meaning DJ Koo could still retain inheritance rights.
Beyond DJ Koo, Barbie Hsu’s biological family—especially her mother and younger sister, TV host Dee Hsu—has also entered the inheritance battle. Legal experts predict a long and contentious legal process. Furthermore, her family will also play a key legal role in an ongoing dispute over post-divorce financial support between Barbie Hsu and her ex-husband, businessman Wang Xiaofei.
Meanwhile, Dee Hsu has expressed support for both her mother and DJ Koo while consulting her in-laws, who have legal expertise, to explore possible solutions. Some sources suggest that Dee Hsu herself may be a potential heir, making her involvement beneficial not only to her mother but also to herself.
In another twist, Wang Xiaofei and his mother, Zhang Lan, are facing heavy public criticism for allegedly exploiting Barbie Hsu’s death for personal gain. The businessman has been accused of staging dramatic scenes to garner sympathy, from filming himself grieving on a plane to standing in the rain crying for 30 minutes. His mother, Zhang Lan, has also come under fire for using the tragedy to boost her online business—livestreaming product sales on Douyin while spreading misinformation about Barbie Hsu’s death. As a result, Douyin has permanently banned both Wang Xiaofei and Zhang Lan from livestreaming.
Adding further controversy, a social media account named Emmy Drama Time has accused Wang Xiaofei and Zhang Lan of being involved in a massive debt scandal amounting to 4.5 billion TWD. They are also accused of money laundering and asset misappropriation through a trust fund in Taiwan. Neither Wang Xiaofei nor Zhang Lan has responded to these allegations, further fueling public suspicion.
The battle over Barbie Hsu’s estate is not only a legal dispute but also a high-stakes media war. As the involved parties struggle to reach a consensus, the public continues to follow and debate the fate of the late actress’s vast fortune.
