Sting has told his six children they won't get a penny of his £180 million fortune when he dies.
The 62-year-old musician, who has two children – Joseph, 37, and Kate, 32 – from his first marriage, and four children – Brigitte Michael, 30, Jake, 28, Eliot Pauline, 23, and Giacomo Luke, 18 – from his second marriage to Trudie Styler, said he didn't want 'to leave them trust funds that are albatrosses round their necks'.
He told the Mail on Sunday: "They have to work. All my kids know that and they rarely ask me for anything, which I appreciate.
"Obviously, if they were in trouble I would help them, but I've never really had to do that. They have this work ethic that makes them want to succeed on their own merit."
Besides, Sting insisted there won't be a huge fortune left for his children, who are aged between 18 and 37.
He said: "I told them there won't be much money left because we are spending it. We have a lot of commitments. What comes in we spend, and there isn't much left."
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Sting, who grew up in working class family in Wallsend,Tyneside, said his hard slog to fame and fortune via playing pubs for £10 a night had built 'a resilience and a toughness'.
Comparing his route to 'overnight stars' of modern pop such as Justin Bieber, he said: "If it had all been handed to me on a plate, I'm not sure I would appreciate it or have survived."
His stance is the opposite to that of music mogul Simon Cowell, who said recently that his son Eric will inherit his estimated £300 million empire.
What do you think? Is Sting right?