Surprisingly small amount Steve Irwin left his family

"Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin left his family with around $200,000 in life insurance after his death in 2006. Photo / Getty Images

He may have been one of the most globally famous Australians, but Steve Irwin left surprisingly little in the way of an inheritance to his children.

Upon his untimely death in 2006, the “Crocodile Hunter” was indeed rolling in it – by some estimates he had accrued more than A$15 million ($16.4m).

But he left his wife, Terri, and children, Robert and Bindi, with a comparatively paltry A$200,000 ($218,707).

That all came from an insurance policy, reports realestate.com.au.

The rest of his multimillion-dollar fortune went into Australia Zoo and other wildlife work.

“Everything was reinvested into conservation work,” Terri told the Australian Financial Review in 2024.

Robert, Bindi and Terri Irwin at the Steve Irwin gala in Las Vegas, Nevada, in May last year. Photo / Getty Images

“I was in debt … and Steve’s life insurance, I think, was the sum total of $200,000, which didn’t even cover half of one week’s payroll.“

Nonetheless, he had ensured that the zoo had a business plan for the future and that its ownership went directly to Terri.

Irwin died on September 4, 2006, aged just 42, when a stingray barb pierced his heart.

Last year, Terri Irwin opened up about the pain she still feels following her husband’s death.

Speaking on Wiggle Talk, a podcast for parents, Irwin said: “When they say time heals all wounds, it doesn’t. But eventually it changes it and it walks next to you.

“It’s always there, and you have to acknowledge your grief, but it’s a companion rather than an all-consuming feeling.

“If you can focus on that and focus on, there’s some grief you really never get over, it’s okay. You’re going to be okay and your kids will be okay. The sun will shine again. It may not shine as bright but it will shine again, that’s what you need to hold on to.”

In December, Robert Irwin told Stellar magazine that he had mixed feelings about reaching the age of 21 without his dad around.

“It can be heartbreaking. I can’t beat around the bush. It’s really hard, particularly when it’s those milestones,” he said.

“It’s difficult navigating that without a father figure. But I have to really praise my entire family, and particularly my mum, on the way in which she’s stepped up, to make sure that – while there will always be part of myself missing and I’ll never be complete – I never felt like I missed out on anything.”

Robert added: “I hope that somewhere, somehow, he knows I’m trying to make him proud.”