Alan Meltzer, who founded Wind-Up Records with his ex-wife and died suddenly of undisclosed causes in October at the age of 67, left behind a considerable fortune in his will. But few probably expected him to leave a large percentage of that fortune to his chauffeur and doorman.
Meltzer left $1 million to Jean Laborde, who served as his chauffeur and is a 54-year old father of five children, and $500,000 to Chamil Demiraj, his doorman who had worked at Meltzer’s Upper East Side apartment building for 15 years, according to the New York Post.
Alan Meltzer, Founder of Wind-Up Records, Dies at 67
“He was such a nice guy,” said Laborde to the Post, voicing sentiments that Demiraj also echoed. “He left me money, but it’s not a good deal for me because it means he’s no longer here.”
Meltzer and his wife started Wind-Up Records in 1997 after purchasing indie label Grass Records, and the company went on to sign major acts such as Creed and Evanescence under his watch. He left Wind-Up in 2010.
Meltzer enjoyed a number of roles throughout his career in the music industry, including founding and operating CD One Stop, which rose to become one of the largest CD wholesalers in the country in the 1980s and 1990s. He sold the company in 1993 before entering the record label business.
Meltzer’s ex-wife Diana, who stood to inherit at least 33 percent of his $10 million estate if the two had not divorced a year before his death, commented on his generous gift. “If he wants to give [his money] to the bums, he can give it to the bums,” she said, among other memorable remarks. “We’re divorced. The man is dead.”