Wealthy Art Collector Dies, Leaves $100,000 Tip To His Favorite Waitresses

An unorthodox addition to a wealthy art collector's will has left two waitresses $100,000 richer. Robert Ellsworth, 85, who died this past summer, bestowed $50,000 each to a pair of surprised waitresses at his favorite restaurant, Donohue's, an Upper East Side steakhouse, according to The New York Post. When he died, Ellsworth was worth an approximate $200 million. His will referred to the two lucky recipients as "Maureen at Donohue's" and "Maureen-at-Donohue's Niece Maureen."

The two waitresses were pleasantly surprised at the generous tip, to say the least. They said that Ellsworth used to come into the steakhouse for lunch and dinner about seven times a week alone or with friends, usually racking up a bill between $60 and$200.

"I just couldn't believe it. I didn't expect anything," said Maureen Donohue-Peters, 53, who has worked at the steakhouse for much of her adult life alongside her niece Maureen, and knew her wealthy regular customer for almost her whole life. "We were his dining room."

Ellworth, who died in August 2014, was unofficially known as the world's wealthiest art collector. He owned multiple priceless pieces from the Ming dynasty — hence his nickname, "King of Ming."