Oliver Tree had planned to leave his entire estate to young artists. The genre-defying musician, who died at the age of 32 in a helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, had revealed months before his passing that the earnings from his catalogue and his music residuals would not go to his family — but instead to up-and-coming artists chasing their dreams.
The plan was confirmed during a recent appearance on The Zach Sang Show. In character and as direct as ever, Tree revealed that he had founded an organisation specifically built to redistribute his estate. The foundation is called Dr. Oliver Tree’s Art Grants for Baby Geniuses.
“When I pass, my family, no one’s gonna get a penny,” Tree shared. “I’ve set up a foundation, it’s called Dr. Oliver Tree’s Art Grants for Baby Geniuses.” According to the artist, the organisation will distribute the earnings from his estate and his music residuals to creative people pursuing their dreams.
The framing reads as particularly poignant against the backdrop of his death. Oliver Tree spent his career – from his early dubstep alias in San Francisco to global pop charts — championing creative weirdness, oddball aesthetics and the next generation of artists. The foundation reads as a deliberate, planned extension of that ethos beyond his lifetime.
The wider context underlines the loss. Tree died on Sunday morning after two helicopters collided mid-air over the coastal neighbourhood of Recreio dos Bandeirantes in Rio de Janeiro, with six people killed in total. Dance music figures including Diplo, Dillon Francis, Zedd, Subtronics and Oliver Heldens have all paid tribute since the news broke.
For many who have followed his career, the revelation about the foundation cements Oliver Tree‘s legacy beyond the music itself. A 32-year-old artist who chose to redirect his entire estate to support the creators who come next leaves a footprint that will outlive any catalogue. May his vision continue to fuel the next generation.
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