Al-Zuhri (may Allah have mercy on him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The freed slave is a brother in religion and a blessing. The most entitled of people to his inheritance is the one closest to the one who freed him."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الولاء / 21501