Last Will of Doris Duke
TEN.B. I direct that the initial directors or trustees of these foundations shall be BERNARD LAFFERTY, MARIAN OATES CHARLES and such three (3) additional persons as BERNARD LAFFERTY (or failing the exercise of such power by Bernard Lafferty, as MARIAN OATES CHARLES) shall designate in writing, signed and acknowledged. BERNARD LAFFERTY (or failing the exercise of such power by Bernard Lafferty, then the initial directors or trustees) shall select the member(s), if any, of these foundations and determine the procedures for (i) the selection and removal of additional and successor members, directors or trustees, (ii) the selection of officers and (iii) the length of term of each member, director, trustee or officer.

As seen above, Doris Duke's will specified there should be 5 Trustees, and specified her friend Marion Oates Charles and her butler/confidante Bernard Lafferty as the first Trustees. But nothing is that simple.

www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/forensics/welner/6.html: "Dr. Harry B. Demopoulos, a pathologist who had devised a dietary regimen for Doris and her dogs, was among her transient friends. He learned that in an earlier will, Ms. Duke had named him co-executor, but that shortly before her death, she had dropped him in favor of her butler and traveling companion, Bernard Lafferty (passed along to her by singer Peggy Lee).  Demopoulos accused Lafferty of influencing Duke while she was mentally incompetent to make clear decisions.  He hired an attorney to contest the will." This website has a book chapter discussing forensic psychiatrist Dr Michael Welner's work for Demopoulos and other aspects of the case, which on balance led him to conclude: "What he had seen of greedy leeches who attach themselves to ailing wealthy people appalled him. "The lesson I took away," he says, "is that it's truly awful to get old in Malibu.".

NY Times, April 11th 1996: After over 2 years of litigation involving 44 lawyers from 10 firms, a settlement was reached. The new board of Trustees had Demopoulos himself, plus "J. Carter Brown, former chairman of the National Gallery of Art in Washington; Marion Oates Charles; James Gill, a partner in the law firm of Robinson, Silverman, Pearce, Aronsohn & Berman; Nannerl O. Keohane, president of Duke University, and John Mack, president of Morgan Stanley".

http://www.ddcf.org/page.asp?pageId=333: By early 2008, two more Morgan Stanley employees had joined Vice Chair Mr Mack (Duke '68 and now CEO of Morgan Stanley) as Trustees. William Schlesinger, from the Duke University faculty joined former Duke President Nan Keohane (Chair) on the board, as did her fellow IBM director, Joan Spero (president of DDCF). At the time Duke Gardens were closed, the number of Trustees had grown to 11 including President Joan Spero. Each Trustee may accept least $126,000 year for 60 hours commitment to the Foundation's work (public 501(c)(3) tax filings).

In June 2008 the position of Mr Mack at DDCF changed from Vice Chair to Trustee Emeritus.



Below are some further sources of public information.