Helmsley's estate announced its first round of charitable grants on Tuesday. The largest, $40 million, goes to New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The majority goes to New York City hospitals and other health care systems across the country.
Helmsley's estate distributed $1 million to 10 animal rights groups, including $100,000 to the ASPCA.
Animal rights groups rejoiced last year at reports that Helmsley who died in 2007 at age 87 wanted her multibillion-dollar fortune to go exclusively to dog-related charities. A court ruled in February that the trustees had sole authority to decide which charities could benefit from her estate.
New York City 2010
