7 Shocking Facts About Anna Nicole Smith’s 89-Year-Old Billionaire Husband, J. Howard Marshall II

The sensational marriage between Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith and elderly oil magnate J. Howard Marshall II remains one of the most talked-about unions in modern celebrity history. While the 63-year age gap and the spectacle of their short-lived marriage dominated headlines in the mid-1990s, the true legacy of this relationship lies in the nearly two-decade-long legal war for his multi-billion-dollar fortune. This article, updated for , dives deep into the extraordinary life of the man who married a superstar and whose death sparked a legal firestorm that reached the U.S. Supreme Court—twice.

The story of J. Howard Marshall II is not just a footnote in Anna Nicole Smith’s tragic life; it is a tale of immense wealth, corporate power, and a family feud that became a landmark case in American jurisprudence. From his roots at Yale Law School to his pivotal role in the American oil industry, Marshall was a titan long before he met the blonde bombshell who would become his third wife. His life, and the legal battles that followed, are a testament to the complexities of love, money, and inheritance.

Biography and Profile: J. Howard Marshall II, The Oil Titan

James Howard Marshall II was a formidable figure in American business and law, amassing his vast fortune through shrewd investments in the energy sector. His life spanned nearly a century of American history, marked by significant academic and professional achievements before his controversial final marriage.

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• Full Name: James Howard Marshall II
• Born: January 24, 1905, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
• Died: August 4, 1995, in Houston, Texas, U.S. (Age 90)
• Education: Haverford College, Yale Law School (graduated 1931)
• Career Highlights: Oil Industry Attorney, Government Official (Assistant Solicitor of the Interior), Legal Scholar, Business Magnate, Co-founder of Great Northern Oil Company, Major Shareholder in Koch Industries.
• Estimated Net Worth at Death: Approximately $2 Billion (equivalent to over $4 billion today)
• Wives: Eleanor Marshall (1931–1961), Bettye Bohannon (1961–1991), Anna Nicole Smith (1994–1995)
• Children: J. Howard Marshall III and E. Pierce Marshall.
• Key Entity: Koch Industries, where Marshall was a significant early investor and shareholder, forming the core of his immense wealth.

The Sensational Marriage: A 63-Year Age Gap

The relationship between J. Howard Marshall II and Anna Nicole Smith—born Vickie Lynn Hogan—began in 1991 when she was a 23-year-old exotic dancer at a Houston strip club, and Marshall was 86. This initial meeting, facilitated by Marshall’s driver, marked the beginning of a three-year courtship during which Marshall showered Smith with lavish gifts, including jewelry, houses, and millions of dollars in spending money.

The Wedding and the Backlash

On June 27, 1994, the couple married in a small ceremony in Houston, Texas. Marshall was 89, and Smith was 26. The marriage instantly became a tabloid sensation, drawing intense scrutiny and widespread criticism. Many observers, including Marshall’s family, openly questioned Smith’s motives, accusing her of marrying the elderly billionaire solely for his money.

Despite the public perception, Anna Nicole Smith consistently maintained that she genuinely loved Marshall, often referring to him affectionately as her "Daddy." The marriage lasted only 14 months until Marshall's death in August 1995 at the age of 90.

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The Missing Will and the Oral Promise

Marshall’s death did not leave Anna Nicole Smith a direct beneficiary in his formal will. The bulk of his $1.6 billion estate was left to his son, E. Pierce Marshall. This exclusion immediately set the stage for the epic legal battle that would consume the next two decades. Smith claimed that Marshall had promised her half of his estate, an oral promise she sought to enforce in court.

The legal fight initially played out in two different courts: a Texas probate court, where Pierce Marshall asserted the validity of his father's will, and a California bankruptcy court, where Anna Nicole Smith had filed for bankruptcy. This dual-court strategy led to conflicting judgments and ultimately, the intervention of the highest court in the land.

The Inheritance War: Marshall v. Marshall

The legal saga that followed J. Howard Marshall II’s death became one of the most protracted and complex inheritance disputes in American legal history, known formally as Marshall v. Marshall. It pitted the former Playboy model against her stepson, E. Pierce Marshall, in a bitter fight for a fortune built on oil and corporate shares.

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The Conflicting Court Decisions

The California bankruptcy court initially sided with Anna Nicole Smith, awarding her a staggering $474 million in damages against Pierce Marshall, ruling that he had interfered with her expected inheritance. However, the Texas probate court, which had jurisdiction over Marshall's will, ruled in favor of Pierce, finding that Anna Nicole was owed nothing.

This conflict between a state court (Texas) and a federal court (California) is what propelled the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, which had to decide whether the federal bankruptcy court had the authority to rule on a matter of state probate law.

The Supreme Court Interventions

The case reached the Supreme Court not once, but twice, becoming a significant legal precedent:

1. Marshall v. Marshall (2006): The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the federal courts did have jurisdiction to hear Anna Nicole Smith's claim, allowing her case to proceed. This was a major, albeit temporary, victory for Smith.
2. Stern v. Marshall (2011): After both Anna Nicole Smith (in 2007) and Pierce Marshall (in 2006) had died, their respective estates continued the fight. The Supreme Court took up the case again, ruling 5-4 that the bankruptcy court had exceeded its constitutional authority in issuing a final judgment on Smith's counterclaim. This ruling effectively reversed the prior favorable judgment.

The Final Verdict

The nearly 19-year legal battle finally concluded with the U.S. Supreme Court's 2011 ruling, which was later upheld. The final decision determined that Anna Nicole Smith's estate—represented by her daughter, Dannielynn Birkhead, and her executor, Howard K. Stern—would receive nothing from the estate of J. Howard Marshall II. The vast fortune remained entirely within the Marshall family, specifically with the heirs of Pierce Marshall.

The Legacy of the Marshall-Smith Saga

The story of Anna Nicole Smith and J. Howard Marshall II is a powerful illustration of the intersection of fame, fortune, and the law. Marshall's life was a testament to the American dream of building a fortune from scratch, graduating from Yale Law School and becoming a powerhouse in the oil sector. He was an investor in the early stages of the oil and gas industry, a strategic move that secured his billionaire status.

However, his final marriage overshadowed his considerable professional achievements, turning his death into a media circus and a legal landmark. The sensational nature of the relationship—the 89-year-old billionaire marrying the 26-year-old model—created a narrative that the ensuing legal battle could never escape. The case of Marshall v. Marshall, despite its dramatic origins, left a lasting impact on how U.S. courts interpret the boundaries between federal and state jurisdiction, particularly concerning probate and bankruptcy law. Ultimately, the long-running dispute ended with the formal will being upheld, a stark reminder that even the most sensational claims often yield to the letter of the law. The saga of the old oilman and the young model remains a captivating, cautionary tale about love, money, and the power of a final testament.