Jackson Warne slams claims of $70million windfall four years after cricket icon father Shane's death

Jackson Warne has rubbished claims that he and his sisters are set for a multimillion-dollar payday following the sale of Indian cricket team Rajasthan Royals.

The 26-year-old's father, Shane Warne, purchased a stake in the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise when he came out of retirement to play for the team in 2008.

Reports emerged this week that a consortium led by US-based entrepreneur Kai Somani had purchased the team for $2.3billion.

It was also claimed that the sale would net Jackson and sisters Brooke, 27, and Summer, 23, a massive $70million windfall.

However, Jackson dismissed the claims, telling the Herald Sun that it was 'fake news'.

Shane initially negotiated a 0.75 per cent equity stake in the team when he signed on in 2008.

Initially paid a base salary of approximately AUD$650,000, Shane's stake grew to three percent during his four-year tenure with the franchise, where he served as captain, coach, and high-performance manager.

However, according to the publication, ties between the Warnes and Rajasthan Royals were cut when Shane died of a heart attack in 2022.

In 2021, the franchise was publicly valued at $480million, meaning Shane's stake was worth around $14million.

However, with the recent AUD $2.33billion sale, that stake would have skyrocketed to $70million.

Shane certainly did not leave his children in need after his death.

His final will, drafted just three months before his tragic death, revealed the King of Spin had amassed an extraordinary $20.7million fortune. 

Jackson, Brooke and Summer inherited just under a third of their father's assets – or about $6.41million each. 

It comes after Jackson revealed what went on behind the scenes the day his famous dad died.

Speaking for the first time about the tragic events, Jackson said he was with members of his family when he learned that Shane had suffered a fatal heart attack.

'Worst phone call of my life,' Jackson said in a new interview, three years after his father's death.

Speaking to the Herald Sun, Jackson said he was with his mother, Simone Callahan, and his eldest sister, Brooke, when Shane's manager, Andrew Neophitou, called with the horrific news.  

Jackson explained that there were initially two separate phone calls, the first explaining that Shane had a massive heart attack, and the second informing the family that a resuscitation attempt was underway. 

The podcaster and his family had to wait an agonising 90 minutes before James Erskine, Shane's manager, called again with an update.   

'It was just the worst hour and a half,' Jackson said.

When the sad news finally came, Jackson said that he and his family all broke down in tears.

'I found out at the same time as the rest of the world,' Jackson said.

'As soon as I hung up on the first call, I got messages from people saying, "tell me it's not true" and it has to be fake.

'And I thought, surely that's not what's going to get him. There was not a single part of me that thought dad wouldn't make it. That thought wasn't there 100 percent. 

'I looked at him as Superman. I didn't think anything would happen to him. It still is such a shock.'         

Shane died suddenly from a massive heart attack while on holiday in Thailand in March 2022.

The megastar cricketer turned pundit and businessman was found unconscious in a villa in the resort of Koh Samui.