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It's no secret that people form deep bonds with their pets. But in some cases, this attachment goes to such lengths that owners leave their fortunes to their animals, ensuring their well-being long after they're gone.
In some instances, the deceased's relatives find themselves with nothing, leading them to contest the will in court. Yet, this didn't stop certain animals from inheriting millions almost overnight.
10. Gunther III and Gunther IV
Karlotta Liebenstein left her estimated $65 million (£43 million) fortune to her German shepherd, Gunther III. Upon her death in 1992, Gunther inherited the wealth and lived in luxury until his own passing. Following that, the estate, now worth $200 million, was passed to his son, Gunther IV.
Gunther IV enjoys an extravagant lifestyle with properties in both Italy and the Bahamas. He even bought a mansion in Miami from pop star Madonna, valued at $7.5 million, complete with the master bedroom where she once slept.
Now, Gunther IV is worth more than $400 million. He travels in a chauffeur-driven limo and has a personal maid and butler at his service. To unwind, he relaxes by his custom swimming pool, which is designed to his liking.
9. Trouble
Trouble, a white Maltese, inherited a $12 million fortune following the passing of her owner, Leona Helmsley, in August 2007. While Trouble didn’t receive the majority of Helmsley’s estate (which mostly went to charity), she certainly ended up with more than Helmsley’s relatives. Even the mausoleum where Leona Helmsley was laid to rest next to her husband received more attention than many of her own family members, with Mrs. Helmsley dedicating $3 million to ensure it was cleaned annually.
Helmsley’s brother, Alvin Rosenthal, was granted millions, but only on the condition that he look after Trouble. Additionally, two of Helmsley’s four grandchildren received $5 million each, provided they visited their deceased father’s grave once every year. The other two grandchildren received nothing, as Helmsley believed they already understood why.
Trouble soon encountered trouble when Helmsley’s relatives challenged the will in court. The court ruled that Helmsley was mentally unfit when she wrote the will and reduced the dog’s inheritance to $2 million, out of the original $12 million. The two grandchildren who initially got nothing were awarded $6 million by the court.
8. Tommaso
Tommaso’s story is the ultimate rags-to-riches tale. Once a stray cat, he was later adopted by Maria Assunta, a widowed woman with no children. Tommaso became her beloved companion, and it was no surprise when Maria left her entire $13 million estate to the black cat.
Under Italian law, animals cannot directly inherit estates. However, they can be named as beneficiaries when a trustee is appointed. Before passing, Maria had instructed her lawyers to find an animal welfare organization to inherit her estate under the condition they care for her cat. When no suitable organization could be found, the trustee named was Stefania, the nurse who had cared for Maria in her final years.
7. Conchita, Lucia, and April Maria
Three dogs—Conchita, Lucia, and April Maria—became overnight millionaires, inheriting an $8.3 million beach house and a $3 million trust fund from their owner, Gail Posner. Even before Posner’s death, the dogs lived in luxury, enjoying their own staff, frequent spa visits, and wearing expensive necklaces.
Bret Carr, the sole son of Gail Posner, was not thrilled with the situation. He only received income from a $1 million fund, which was less than some of Ms. Posner's employees were paid. In total, her staff divided $27 million.
Bret filed a lawsuit to contest the will. He claimed that the staff had drugged his mother and manipulated her into leaving her estate to the dogs, allowing her employees to gain control of it. Bret's attorney backed his argument, stating that Gail had struggled with a drug addiction, suffered from multiple health problems, and was easily influenced.
6. Samantha
In 1996, Sidney Altman, aged 60, bequeathed a substantial portion of his $6 million estate, including $350,000 in cash, to his cocker spaniel, Samantha. His long-time girlfriend, Marie Dana, was appointed as Samantha's guardian. Dana, in her early thirties, was to receive $60,000 annually to care for the dog and could continue living in Altman’s Benedict Canyon home in California until Samantha passed away.
Once Samantha passed, the arrangement with Dana would end immediately. She would no longer receive any money and would have to vacate the Benedict Canyon home. The will stated that the house would be sold, and the proceeds would be donated to two animal charities.
Dana was not pleased with the outcome. Having lived with Altman for six years, she had expected him to ensure her financial security through his will after his death. Instead, the dog inherited everything.
At the time of Altman’s passing, the dog was 15 years old, which is roughly equivalent to 75 human years. Dana realized that her annual payments would only last a few years at most. She challenged the will and demanded $2.7 million from Altman’s estate, claiming that he had promised to provide for her after she moved in with him.
Dana’s attorney, Cary Goldstein, argued that the will was outdated when Altman passed. Written in 1994, a few years after Dana began living with him, the will described Dana as merely a “good friend.” Meanwhile, it described Samantha as a “loving companion” and Altman’s “primary concern,” stating that he didn’t want her to suffer.
5. Blackie
Blackie holds a spot in the Guinness World Records as the wealthiest cat in history. He didn’t earn the money through hard work—he inherited it. After the death of his owner, Ben Rea, in May 1988, Blackie was bequeathed £7 million ($12.5 million). Rea allocated the money to three cat charities under the condition they care for Blackie.
Ironically, Rea left nothing for his family members. However, his gardener, mechanic, and plumber were each given some money, and a friend received a house. Blackie wasn’t the only cat Rea had owned; he was just one of 15, and he would have shared his inheritance with them had they not passed away earlier.
4. Gigoo
If you feel a bit undervalued after hearing about the fortunes left to cats and dogs, brace yourself. It gets even more bizarre. A chicken also inherited a massive fortune. Yes, Gigoo the chicken received $15 million (£10 million) upon the death of its owner, Miles Blackwell, in 2002.
Blackwell’s wife, Briony, had passed away from chemical sensitivity just three weeks earlier. The couple, who had no children, considered Gigoo their beloved pet, so they had no hesitation in leaving their fortune to the cherished bird.
Gigoo’s inheritance was actually a smaller portion of the Blackwell fortune. The couple also left $42.5 million (£30 million), the bulk of their wealth, to the Tubney Charitable Trust they had established in 1997. The trust was dedicated to supporting art, music, and animal welfare.
This generous donation quickly propelled the previously obscure trust into the top 30 charities in the UK based on the donations received. The trust agreed to allocate part of the funds for research into the multiple chemical sensitivity that had claimed Briony’s life.
3. Majel Roddenberry’s Pets
Majel Roddenberry was married to Gene Roddenberry, the visionary behind Star Trek. She had been deeply involved in the Star Trek franchise from its inception, playing the first officer in the original TV pilot alongside Jeffrey Hunter’s captain. (That pilot, which never aired in full until 1988, was never turned into its own series.)
Majel Roddenberry took on the role of Nurse Chapel in the original Star Trek series, which debuted on television in September 1966. She continued to appear in various Star Trek shows and films until her passing in December 2008. In her will, she allocated $4 million to ensure the comfort of her pets after her death.
She also left $1 million to her domestic staff member, Reinelda Estupinian, in exchange for taking care of the animals. Majel stated that Reinelda was the ideal person for the task and even mentioned that Reinelda looked after the pets better than she had.
The will did not specify how many pets Majel had, nor whether they were cats, dogs, or a mix of both. It simply referred to them as 'cats or dogs.' Unlike others who left large sums to their pets while giving little to their relatives, Majel bequeathed $60 million and a mansion to her son, Eugene Roddenberry Jr. He was also to receive $10 million in birthday gifts when he turned 35, 40, and 45.
2. Tinker
Margaret Layne passed away in 2002 without children. In her will, she left her three-bedroom London house, valued at £350,000, and around £100,000 in cash to her beloved cat, Tinker. The cat’s caretakers, Ann and Eugene Wheatley, were designated to inherit the house and remaining money upon Tinker’s death, departure from the house, or disappearance for a certain period.
Solicitor Wynne Thomas raised concerns over the will, fearing it gave the Wheatleys a motive to 'deliberately' make the cat vanish. The Wheatleys, however, denied any such intent, insisting that they had been caring for Tinker for more than 18 months while Layne was in a nursing home. Ann Wheatley also received £25,000 from Layne’s estate.
1. Tina and Kate
Nora Hardwell, aged 89, passed away on December 31, 2002, having never married. Her two collie crosses, Tina and Kate, were her only companions, and she dedicated her life to just three things: dogs, poetry, and gardening. It came as no surprise when she left £450,000 for the care of her dogs in her will.
Hardwell did not specifically name Tina and Kate in her will. Instead, she directed that the funds be used to care for any dog or dogs she owned at the time of her death, for a duration of 21 years or until the last surviving dog passed away, whichever occurred first.
After Hardwell’s passing, her dogs were cared for by her gardener, Henry Escott, who was also bequeathed £5,000 in the will. Any remaining funds after the care of the dogs were to be donated to four charities, two of which had to be focused on animal welfare.
