The world's weirdest Wills

These 10 inheritances, bequests and deathbed requests are really bizarre!

Recently, a close friend of mine received a surprising windfall.

My friend had a letter from an elderly great-aunt who had emigrated to North America decades ago. In her letter, this aunt wrote than she had decided to distribute among her close family some money she had kept behind in England. The bulk of these funds went to my friend's aunt's sisters.

However, as my friend was the only UK relative to have visited the old lady for many years, she received a cheque for -- wait for it -- £15,000. In effect, my friend was rewarded handsomely (and unexpectedly) for visiting a far-flung family member.

Wacky Wills and windfalls

The best part of this news is that my friend's great-aunt is still alive and well, so my friend can thank her properly for her generous gift.

However, such windfalls usually happen after a person dies, when his/her estate is distributed according to the terms of a Will. Because this happens after death, many people use their Wills to reward, punish or amuse people -- even complete strangers -- from beyond the grave.

Here are 10 of the weirdest Wills I've found:

1. The Queen of Mean

When New York property developer and hotelier Harry Helmsley died in 1997, he left an estate worth billions of dollars. His wife Leona collected the bulk of her late husband's fortune and, after remarking that "only the little people pay taxes", Leona served 19 months in jail for tax fraud.

Nicknamed the 'Queen of Mean' by her staff, Leona died in 2007, leaving $10 million each to two of her grandchildren, but nothing to the other two. She also left a $12 million (£7.75 million) trust fund to her white Maltese terrier, Trouble. This sum was later reduced on appeal to a mere $2 million.

2. It's a dog's life (1)

As 'man's best friend', dogs often do well in Wills. For example, when fashion designer Alexander McQueen died last year at the age of 40, he left £50,000 each to Callum, Juice and Minter, his three English bull terriers. McQueen also left large sums to animal charities the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and Blue Cross UK.

3. It's a dog's life (2)

Similarly, when Carlotta Liebenstein died in 1991, she left 139 million Deutsche Marks to her dog. Back then, the German Countess's gift was the thick end of £50 million, allowing German Shepherds Gunther III and his heir, puppy Gunther IV, to live in a mansion, not a kennel.

4. The 'Great Stork Derby'

When he died in 1926, Canadian lawyer and investor Charles Vance Millar was childless and had no near-relations to inherit his wealth.

As a practical joker, Millar willed the residue of his estate to the Toronto, Ontario woman who bore most babies in the decade after his death. In a close-fought race known as the Great Stork Derby, the eventual winners were four women who bore nine children apiece, each pocketing $125,000. Thus, Millar's fortune gave at least 36 children a better start in life.

5. Well-preserved

In Georgian times, Jeremy Bentham was acclaimed as one of England's leading lawyers, philosophers and social reformers.

On his death in 1832, Bentham's body was embalmed, stuffed with hay, dressed and then placed in a chair, as per his Will's instructions. Today, Bentham's body is displayed in a glass case at University College London. I once went to see this 'auto-icon' when studying Maths at another London college. Spooky!

6. My love is like a red, red rose

Jack Benny is known as one of America's greatest comedians, but Jack was an old-school romantic, too.

When he died of cancer in 1974, Benny's Will provided for one long-stemmed, red rose to be delivered each day to his widow, Mary Livingstone. This romantic gesture from beyond the grave continued for 9½ years, until Mary died in mid-1993.

7. Smokin!

Samuel Bratt's wife never allowed him to smoke, a habit she detested. When he died in 1960, Sam got his revenge: he left his widow £330,000, on condition that she smoked five cigars per day.

8. I'm in the can

You've probably never heard of Fredric Baur, but you'll see his invention in every grocery store.

In 1966, the chemist and engineer invented the Pringles can that allows Procter & Gamble to stack crisps neatly in piles, instead of loosely in bags. How appropriate then, that Baur's ashes were buried in a Pringles can when he died in 2008.

9. Star Trekking

When Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry died in 1991, he left a Will requesting that his ashes be given a space burial. Part of Roddenberry's remains went up in the Space Shuttle Columbia and, in 1997, more ashes were launched into space aboard a Spanish satellite.

10. Death Wish

When Audrey Jean Knauer died in Kentucky, USA in 1997, her Will left her $300,000 estate to Charles Bronson, the star of five 'Death Wish' movies. Despite attempts by Knauer's sister to void her Will, $150,000 did indeed go to Bronson, who pledged to donate it to charity.

Be sensible

Finally, if you have a wife, partner or children who would lose out financially if you popped your clogs, then you probably need a Will, too.

My advice would be to do as I did by consulting a member of STEP, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. Also, get some life insurance and go easy on the eccentric requests in your Will!

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