With the release of the Netflix documentary “Avicii: I’m Tim,” the world is once again reflecting on the life and legacy of Swedish DJ Tim Bergling — better known as Avicii. The film offers a rare, intimate look into his final performance at Ushuaïa Ibiza in August 2016, his personal life behind the scenes, and the immense pressures he faced as a global music icon. It also sheds light on his struggles with fame and mental health, as well as the relentless demands of the music industry — all of which contributed to his tragic and untimely death.
While Avicii’s story serves as a powerful cautionary tale for aspiring musicians and creatives, it also carries a lesser-known but equally important lesson about the consequences of failing to plan for the unexpected. Despite amassing a massive fortune before the age of 30 — far more than most earn in a lifetime — Avicii passed away without leaving behind a will or trust to direct how his assets should be distributed. As a result, it’s likely his wealth was passed on according to default inheritance laws, rather than his personal wishes.
This oversight is particularly striking given Avicii’s well-documented generosity. “I discovered when I started making money that I didn’t really need it,” he once said, according to BBC. “When you have such an excess of money you don’t need, the most sensible, most human and completely obvious thing is to give to people in need.”
Considering his charitable nature and the significant donations he made during his lifetime, it’s not unreasonable to believe he would have wanted a portion of his estate to support the causes he cared about. Unfortunately, without a legally binding estate plan in place, that possibility was lost.
Read on to learn more about the circumstances surrounding Avicii’s death — and the legal lessons it offers about the importance of estate planning, no matter your age or profession.
How Did Avicii Die?
After the news of Avicii’s death broke in 2018, speculation quickly spread. Many pointed to his previous health struggles — including acute pancreatitis, surgeries to remove his gallbladder and appendix, chronic exhaustion, and a history of alcohol abuse — as possible contributors to his untimely passing. But the truth was even more heartbreaking: the world-renowned DJ died by suicide.
According to In Touch Weekly, Avicii — whose real name was Tim Bergling — used broken glass from a bottle to cut himself, ultimately bleeding out. While his family initially withheld the official cause of death, they alluded to suicide in a public statement shortly after.
Though Avicii had been open about his mental health battles, news of his death still came as a shock to those closest to him. Friends and collaborators described him as upbeat and creatively energized in the days leading up to his passing.
“You could tell he had spent a long time figuring out the puzzle, and he was trying to take charge of his life,” recalled Joe Janiak, a songwriter and producer who had been working with Avicii at his Los Angeles home studio just days before his death. “He seemed pumped. That’s the shocking thing. He didn’t seem like a guy at the end of his days,” he told Rolling Stone.
Per Sundin, head of Universal Music Sweden and a longtime industry colleague of Avicii’s, echoed that sentiment. “All his notes were in happy mode,” he said. “He loved what he had created.”
Although Avicii retired from touring in 2016 — explaining he was “tired, really tired” — he never stepped away from music. In fact, he continued to produce tracks up until his death, reported People.
“We all reach a point in our lives and careers where we understand what matters the most to us,” he wrote on his website. “For me, it’s creating music. That is what I live for, what I feel I was born to do. Last year I quit performing live, and many of you thought that was it. But the end of live never meant the end of Avicii or my music. Instead, I went back to the place where it all made sense — the studio.”
When Did Avicii Die?
Avicii tragically passed away on April 20, 2018. He first rose to global fame with his breakout hit “Levels” in 2011 and continued to enjoy a successful career in the years that followed.
How Old Was Avicii When He Died?
Avicii was just 28 years old when he died, prompting comparisons to the infamous “27 Club” — a group of iconic musicians, such as Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix and Amy Winehouse who all passed away at age 27. However, it’s important to note that Avicii was 28, not 27, at the time of his death.
Where Did Avicii Die?
Avicii died in Muscat, Oman, where he had traveled from Los Angeles on April 8, 2018, for a vacation that included visiting the royal family, according to GQ.
The magazine reported that the Grammy-nominated artist spent his time in Oman sailing, kitesurfing, posing for photos with fans and even communicating with his management team about new music projects.
Avicii’s outward demeanor gave little indication of distress, multiple sources who encountered him in Oman told GQ. However, it’s believed his mental state fluctuated during the trip — enough to raise concern among his family, who ultimately sent a relative to check on him. Tragically, by the time they arrived, Avicii had already taken his own life.
Why Did Avicii Commit Suicide?
Although no suicide note was ever publicly disclosed, the reasons behind Avicii’s tragic death were likely complex and deeply layered — encompassing his disillusionment with fame, overwhelming stress, substance abuse and long-standing mental health challenges, according to People.
“Our beloved Tim was a seeker, a fragile artistic soul searching for answers to existential questions. An over-achieving perfectionist who travelled and worked hard at a pace that led to extreme stress,” his family shared in a heartfelt statement translated from Swedish. “When he stopped touring, he wanted to find a balance in life to be happy and do what he loved most — music. He really struggled with thoughts about Meaning, Life, Happiness. He could not go on any longer. He wanted to find peace. Tim was not made for the business machine he found himself in; he was a sensitive guy who loved his fans but shunned the spotlight.”
While Avicii was grateful for his global success and the opportunities it brought, it also took a toll on him, reported EDM.COM. “I am blessed to be able to travel all around the world and perform, but I have too little left for the life of a real person behind the artist,” he once said.
Though the entertainer eventually sought help for his substance abuse and mental health, the demanding pace of his career had already left its mark, according to CBS News. He had been hospitalized at least twice with acute pancreatitis, a condition linked to his excessive alcohol use. Over time, the condition can lead to chronic pain, malnutrition, malabsorption and even diabetes, CBS News noted.
Seeking relief from his inner turmoil, Avicii had turned to Eastern spirituality — specifically, transcendental meditation. Erin Skipper, secretary at the Los Angeles Transcendental Meditation center, told GQ that he had reached out urgently for guidance before his final trip, hoping to gain clarity and manage his crippling anxiety. During their sessions, he revealed that his drinking had been a coping mechanism for his anxiety and is what ultimately triggered his pancreatitis.
While the full reasons behind his death may never be known, his final journal entry offers a glimpse into the spiritual lens through which he may have viewed his pain:
“The shedding of the soul is the last attachment, before it restarts!” he wrote, according to EDM.COM.
What Is the Avicii “Death Conspiracy”?
According to CBS News, an autopsy confirmed that no foul play was involved in Avicii’s death, dispelling any conspiracy theories surrounding his passing.
However, critiques have been directed at his management for allegedly prioritizing financial gains over his wellbeing. After being hospitalized for acute pancreatitis in early 2012 due to excessive alcohol consumption, Avicii continued an intense touring schedule, performing over 200 shows that year. Despite medical advice to rest, he performed more than 118 times in 2013. This relentless pace contributed to his reliance on painkillers, including opioids like Percocet, prescribed after gallbladder and appendix surgeries in 2014. Despite clear signs that he should have been taken off the road, Avicii felt pressured by his management to continue performing, GQ reported.
“I recognized straightaway that this was too much for him,” a close source recalled to GQ. “I could see him physically and mentally falling apart.”
Avicii’s longtime manager, Arash Pournouri, faced criticism for not intervening appropriately and instead continuing to book gigs. “Things were getting worse, not better,” GQ was told by another source. “I kept telling Tim that he was putting food on everyone else’s table while he was falling apart.”
After retiring from touring in 2016, Avicii reported feeling more stress-free than he had in a while, leading to questions about why he took his life just months later.
Many attribute Avicii’s declining health to Pournouri, who was accused of neglecting obvious problems to continue profiting. Reports suggested he took approximately 50% of Avicii’s writing and production credits and over 20% of his performance fees, though Pournouri refuted these claims. “I never took 50% of Tim’s writing credits. I only got a piece of the songs I helped write and produce,” he told GQ. “Furthermore, I charged him 20%, which is standard, even though the job I did for him was way above any standard for a manager.”
The Netflix documentary on Avicii portrays Pournouri in a critical light. DJ and friend Kaskade remarked, “This whole industry is designed to destroy. Managers, business managers, agents, attorneys: they are all focused on working you because that is how they make a living.”
What Was Avicii’s Net Worth at Death?
At the time of his death, Avicii’s net worth was estimated at around $50 million — a fortune built through global touring, chart-topping music sales, and high-profile brand endorsements with companies like Coca-Cola, Volvo and Ralph Lauren, according to Forbes.
In 2014, during the peak of his career, Forbes ranked him the third-highest-paid DJ in the world, with earnings reaching a staggering $28 million that year alone. At the time, he was reportedly commanding up to $250,000 per performance.
Remarkably, even after retiring from touring in 2016, Avicii continued to generate substantial income through streaming, licensing and royalties. His enduring influence and financial success solidified his status as one of the most iconic and profitable EDM artists of his generation.
Who Inherited Avicii’s Money?
Avicii’s parents inherited his estimated $50 million fortune, according to Forbes. Because the artist died intestate — meaning without a valid will or trust — Sweden’s intestate succession laws determined how his estate would be distributed.
Under Swedish law, as outlined by the International Bar Association, if a person dies without children, the estate passes to other relatives. The relatives, however, must be closer than cousins. If no eligible relatives are found, the inheritance is taken over by a Swedish state authority.
Following their inheritance, Avicii’s parents sold 75% of the rights to his master recordings and publishing catalog to the Swedish entertainment company Pophouse, BBC reported. They chose to retain a 25% stake in order to help ensure that their son’s music continues to be promoted and used in a way that reflects his legacy with dignity.
Was Avicii Married?
Avicii never married, but at the time of his death, he was reportedly in a serious relationship with Czech model Tereza Kačerová, according to People. The couple had chosen to keep their relationship largely out of the spotlight.
Because they were not legally married, Kačerová did not have any inheritance rights under Swedish law. As a result, it’s presumed Avicii’s entire estate was inherited by his parents through the country’s intestacy laws.
Did Avicii Have Kids?
Avicii never had children of his own, but Kačerová had a son named Luka, with whom the DJ had reportedly formed a close bond, according to People.
Had Avicii and Kačerová been married, Swedish intestate succession laws would likely have directed his entire estate to her and her son — a system similar to California intestate succession laws.
Takeaway: Dying Intestate Means You Lose Control of Your Legacy
When someone dies without a will — whether in Sweden, the United States or elsewhere — their assets typically will pass to their closest surviving heirs according to intestate succession laws. While specific rules differ from country to country (and even state to state), they seem to share one thing in common: they leave the deceased with no control over how their assets are distributed. Unlike a will or trust, which can be customized to reflect a person’s unique wishes, intestate succession laws are rigid statutes that cannot be contested or easily overridden.
For anyone who has spent a lifetime building wealth, it can be heartbreaking to know that everything you’ve worked for might end up in the hands of individuals you never intended to benefit. It’s an outcome few would consider ideal.
Why Might Avicii Have Benefited From an Estate Plan?
Avicii was not only known for his impact on EDM but also for his philanthropic spirit. In 2012, he embarked on his “House for Hunger” tour and donated all of the proceeds to Feeding America, a nonprofit that combats hunger in the United States. He didn’t stop there — he personally contributed an additional $1 million to that same cause and followed up with another €1 million donation to a Swedish charity focused on hunger relief. According to Forbes, these public acts of giving likely only scratch the surface of his charitable efforts.
Given Avicii’s demonstrated generosity, it’s not hard to imagine that he may have wanted at least a portion of his wealth to benefit the causes he believed in — or even to support loved ones beyond his parents, such as his three siblings, his girlfriend or her son. But because he died without an estate plan, Sweden’s intestate succession laws took over, directing the entirety of his estate to his parents. In so doing, he effectively lost control over the legacy he worked so hard to build — perhaps even at the cost of his health.
While, according to Billboard, Avicii’s parents did eventually establish a foundation in his name in 2019 to support mental health and suicide prevention, we can’t know for certain if these were the causes he himself would have chosen. Had he created a will or trust, he could have outlined specific charities, individuals or initiatives he wished to support, ensuring his distribution plan aligned with his values.
So, why didn’t Avicii have an estate plan? It’s likely that it simply wasn’t on his radar. At 28 years old, planning for death probably seemed premature — especially for someone at the height of their career. Additionally, the sudden and tragic nature of his passing suggests he may not have had the time, clarity or capacity to put a plan in place. But that’s precisely the point: we never know when the unthinkable might happen, which is why it’s never too early to create an estate plan.
Whether you’re 20 or 80, if you have any amount of wealth — or loved ones you wish to take care of — it’s essential to leave clear instructions for how your assets should be handled. Ideally, this should be done with the help of a qualified estate planning attorney.
That said, in a pinch, you can still take steps to protect your legacy. There is reputable estate planning software that can help you create a valid will or trust, and in many jurisdictions, you can draft a holographic will or trust (i.e., a will or trust that is handwritten). Just be sure to research the legal requirements in your state or country to ensure the document will be considered valid.
In the end, the lesson from Avicii’s story is simple but powerful: don’t wait. Estate planning isn’t just for the wealthy or the elderly — it’s for everyone who wants a say in how their legacy will be remembered.
Have questions about estate planning or probate?
At Keystone Law Group, we exclusively dedicate our practice to probate litigation and administration. While we do not handle estate planning, we would be happy to connect you with a trusted estate planning firm if you’re looking to get ahead of the curve — especially given that an estimated two-thirds of Americans currently do not have an estate plan in place.
That said, if you’re facing issues with a will or trust after the death of a loved one, or have other probate-related concerns, our probate attorneys are here to help. As the largest firm in California practicing solely in the area of probate, we bring unmatched knowledge and expertise to every matter we handle.
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