Priscilla Presley Reflects on Daughter Lisa Marie’s Financial and Personal Struggles

Priscilla Presley was deeply saddened when her daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, faced a significant personal and financial crisis that resulted in a major life decision. In her memoir “Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis,” she recalls the moment Lisa Marie chose to sell 85% of her inheritance, which included Graceland, Elvis Presley’s iconic estate.

Lisa Marie, Elvis’s sole heir since 1993, was reported to be “broke” by 2005. Priscilla expressed concern over whether her daughter was receiving sound financial advice, but acknowledged difficult conversations about money were delicate. That year, Lisa Marie sold most of her inheritance, retaining the residence, the grounds, and Elvis’s personal memorabilia, but relinquished control over Elvis’s legacy assets. This decision devastated Priscilla, who saw Graceland as a vital part of their family’s history and a source of ongoing income through Elvis Presley Enterprises.

Priscilla recalled her efforts to curate exhibits of Elvis’s personal belongings and expand the estate’s legacy. After Lisa Marie passed away in January 2023 at age 54, her ownership of Graceland was inherited by her daughters—Riley Keough and twins Harper and Finley Lockwood—through a living trust.

The Presley family has a long history connected to Graceland, where Elvis and several family members, including Lisa Marie and her son Benjamin Keough (who died in 2020), are buried. Priscilla’s marriage to Elvis lasted from 1967 to 1973, and she later had a son, Navarone Garibaldi, with ex-boyfriend Marco Garibaldi. Lisa Marie was married multiple times, including to Danny Keough, Michael Jackson, Nicolas Cage, and Michael Lockwood.