$1billion dollar baby: Anna Nicole Smith's six-year-old daughter Dannielynn may finally see some of her late mother's fortune in new ruling by Californian judge | Daily Mail Online
$1billion dollar baby: Anna Nicole Smith's six-year-old daughter Dannielynn may finally see some of her late mother's fortune in new ruling by Californian judge
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It is a legal battle that has dragged on for more than a decade.
But now, Dannielynn Birkhead, the daughter of the late Anna Nicole Smith, may be finally entitled to some of the fortune left by her mother's late husband, oil billionaire J. Howard Marshall.
Although Dannielynn was declared the sole heir to the estate back in 2008, The Supreme Court had ruled that Anna Nicole's estate was not entitled to any of Marshall's fortune.
Just like her mother: Dannielynn Birkhead attends the 138th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky in May last year
Heiress: Last year, a Californian judge ruled that Dannielynn will be entitled to up to $49 million of her mother's ex-husband's estate - deceased billionaire oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall
On Thursday however, a Californian judge said that Dannielynn, who is now six-years-old, is entitled to sanctions against Marshall's family, reports TMZ .
She could now be entitled to up to $49million of Marshall's fortune, which is estimated to be between $500million and $1billion.
The judge made their decision based on allegations that attorneys working for Marshall's estate used unsavory tactics through litigation, including concealing crucial legal documents from Anna's estate lawyers.
Million dollar baby: Larry Birkhead has done a great job of bringing up daughter Dannielynn who could now be in line to inherit $49million dollars
Anna Nicole herself went to court after Marshall’s death in 1995, claiming he promised to leave her £200million, even though his will made no mention of her.
After she died from a drug overdose in 2007 aged 39, her lawyers argued that the money should go to Dannielynn, who was fathered by one of her lovers, Larry Birkhead, 37.
But a federal court later ruled that Marshall intended to leave his entire fortune to Pierce Marshall, his son by an earlier marriage.
Tragedy: After Anna Nicole died from a drug overdose in 2007 aged 39, her lawyers argued that the money should go to her daughter
Taking after mom: Six-year-old Dannielynn Birkhead is growing up to look just like her mother Anna Nicole
Anna married oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall in 1994 when she was just 26, and he was 89.
Marshall died a year later.
Meanwhile, Dannielynn is growing up to be the spitting image of her mother, who was aged just 39 when she was found dead in a Florida hotel room.
Her father Larry Birkhead, who was forced to establish paternity in a suit against Smith's then partner and lawyer Howard K. Stern, seems to have done an excellent job raising his daughter by himself.
'I see her mom in everything she does,' Birkhead told UsWeekly.
'We were at the Kentucky Derby and she started smiling and posing like her mom would. People ask me to put her in modelling, but I don't want to push,' he added.