📧 Communication

This document is a financial article or blog post included in a House Oversight production analyzing the steep decline in Valhi Inc (VHI) stock following the death of Harold Simmons in late 2013. The author discusses the trade-off between the estate's massive paper loss ($2.8 billion) and the resulting reduction in estate tax liability ($1.1 billion), noting that while tax savings are real cash, the loss in asset value is significant. The text also highlights a specific event in June 2014 where the Harold Simmons Foundation, controlled by the heirs, rapidly sold 2.5 million shares of the company.