Leonore Annenberg - Later Life

Later Life

Walter Annenberg died on October 1, 2002, aged 94. Lee Annenberg succeeded her husband as chairman and president of the Annenberg Foundation, an organization founded by her late husband which funds nonprofit organizations as well as education institutes and programs of the arts. She continued to donate money to worthy causes in the fields of science, education, and art until her death. In 2006, she was ranked as the 382nd wealthiest person in the world by Forbes magazine, and the 488th in 2007. Annenberg, in 2007, was the 165th richest person in the United States, according to Forbes, with a net worth of 2.5 billion dollars. Annenberg traveled to Washington, D.C. in May 2007 to attend the state dinner for Queen Elizabeth II, hosted by President George W. Bush. The following month, she accepted the prestigious Philadelphia Award, an honor given to those in the Philadelphia region who worked to better the area.

Most recently before her death, Annenberg became an honorary board member of the Richard Nixon Foundation and an honorary fellow of the Royal Academy of Arts.