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Robert Durst is one of the most infamous names in the true crime world, having committed big crimes and evading the law for decades before his arrest. In fact, by the time the New York real estate heir was finally convicted for his crimes, he was already in poor health and passed away within months after his conviction. But before that, he managed to stay out of prison for nearly four decades after his first alleged murder.
Durst was not like any everyday criminal. He was the heir of The Durst family fortune, which owns more than 16 million square feet of real estate and a 10% stake in One World Trade Center, according to Forbes. Moreover, Forbes also reports that the company, which is currently run by Douglas Durst and Jody Durst, is currently worth approximately $8.1 billion.
Robert Durst, who is convicted of a murder, and suspected in as many as three murder cases, is the eldest son of Seymour Durst, who took over and grew the company after his father, Joseph, started it.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Robert Durst's net worth at the time of his passing in 2022 was over $65 million, and that is barring the immense family wealth mentioned above.
How did the Durst family make their fortune?
The Durst Family runs one of the oldest family-run real estate companies in New York, The Durst Organization, which is the owner and manager of 13 million square feet of premier Manhattan office towers. The Durst residential ownership also stretches for 3 million square feet.
The business was started by immigrant Joseph Durst, who arrived from Gorlice, Galicia, Austria-Hungary with only three dollars in 1902. After working as a tailor and later as a businessman, Joseph managed to purchase his first building in 1915, kickstarting an operation that would boom in the coming years.
In 1927, almost 13 years after he started the business, he formally started the Durst Organization, which remains active today and is a third-generation business.
Seymour Durst took over the Durst family operations after Joseph's death in 1974, effectively increasing the business in the following years. Robert was Seymour and Bernice's eldest son of the four.
As Robert was not very interested in the family business, Seymour soon handed the reins to Douglas Durst, who took a keen interest in the organization. Robert, meanwhile, took quite a different path in life.
What did Robert Durst do?
Robert Durst kickstarted, what would be, a stellar criminal career in early 1982 when his first wife, dental hygienist Kathleen McCormack, mysteriously disappeared. According to reports, Durst had gotten into a fight with her before her disappearance, yet Robert Durst managed to evade this case with relative ease.
Years later, Susan Berman, Robert's unofficial spokesperson, was also murdered at her LA home, where a note was also found addressed to the police. On analysis, it allegedly matched Robert's handwriting. This was allegedly because Berman knew too much about Robert's first wife and her "disappearance." He was later convicted of this murder.
In 2001, Robert Durst also allegedly murdered and dismembered his neighbor in Galveston, Texas, in "self-defense." The explanation and lack of forensics led to Durst's acquittal in 2003. He did later get arrested for bail jumping and one count of evidence tampering but was finally sentenced with one of his three alleged murders (Susan Berman) in 2021, following which he passed away just months later.
HBO's documentary on him, Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, which was released in February 8, 2015, played an instrumental in bringing some justice to the case as Durst seemingly confessed to the murders live on mic.
He was arrested before the finale of the show. Now, a second part of Jinx is all set to premiere on April 21, 2024, completing the story of Durst and the events that took place after the original series aired.
