Wills are created to express one’s final wishes, dispose of accumulated money and property, and leave a memory of oneself… But sometimes people write such unusual wills that all one can do is marvel at their inventiveness and, of course, their great sense of humor!
1. The Richest Dog in the World
Producer and businessman from the USA, Roger Dorcas, led a very free and extravagant lifestyle. His acquaintances were sure that his love for certain pleasures wouldn’t lead him to do good. And they were right. Roger died of a heart attack, leaving behind a shocking will.
It was expected that the millionaire would leave all his estate to his wife, the young Wendy Dietrich, whom he married a year before his death. But it turned out that Roger bequeathed her only one cent. The rest of his estate, totaling over 60 million dollars, Dorcas left to his dog named Maximilian.
Naturally, Wendy was extremely dissatisfied with this decision. But with the help of experienced lawyers, she found a way out of the situation. The woman… married Maximilian. And after the dog died a natural death, she became his sole heiress. After all, Maximilian, for obvious reasons, did not leave a will, which means that after his death, the dog’s estate defaulted to his “bereaved” widow.
2. Nicotine Revenge
Sam arranged for all his acquired property to go to his wife. But with one condition. Every day, the widow had to smoke at least five cigars. The poor woman had to agree to such terms. One can only hope that Sam did not know about the harm smoking causes to health. Otherwise, his revenge could be called practically sadistic.
3. Wife “Inheritance”
Heinrich Heine was a famous writer in his lifetime. After his death, he did not fall into obscurity, and his books continued to remain popular. Moreover, some of them were considered so powerful that the writer’s works were even banned in Germany when Hitler came to power. Heine’s works were even subject to demonstrative burnings: to such an extent he was displeasing to the authorities.
However, the writer became famous not only for his writings but also for a very strange will. In 1841, Heinrich married Eugenia Mirat. They were quite an odd couple. Heinrich, sensitive, poetic, immersed in creativity, and Eugenia, a simple shoe saleswoman, rough and, according to contemporaries, quite tactless. One can only guess what connected these people and why they decided to unite their destinies.
After death, it turned out that Heine left a rather amusing will. Amusing for everyone except his wife. The writer bequeathed all his estate to Eugenia, but with one condition: she would receive the money only after she got married. And she had to do it as soon as possible after Heinrich’s death.
This was motivated by the poet not at all by concern for Eugenia’s happiness. He wanted at least one person in the world to truly mourn his death. It was assumed that this person would be the man Eugenia would marry.
4. Smoke Rings and a Pregnant Man
Charlie Chaplin had an amazing sense of humor. He couldn’t resist making a joke even in his will.
Chaplin bequeathed a million dollars to the man who could become pregnant and give birth to a child. Naturally, no one has yet been able to claim this inheritance. Of course, attempts have been made, but only transgender men, that is, people whose biological sex is female but whose gender identity is male, have carried children.
Under Charlie Chaplin’s conditions, they clearly didn’t fit. Therefore, the prize still hasn’t found its owner. By the way, the pregnancy should occur naturally, without surgical intervention. And this further complicates the task set by the actor.
While many people know about the joke with the pregnant man, not everyone is aware of the second part of the great actor’s will, his silent film. There is another way to win a million dollars. To do this, you have to release six smoke rings and pierce them with a seventh ring. Chaplin was a heavy smoker and dreamed of performing this trick. However, he never succeeded.
It’s worth testing your skills and practicing a bit: perhaps you will be the one to receive Chaplin’s prize! After all, the chances of releasing seven rings in a row are much greater than being a man and getting pregnant naturally.
5. A True Lady Always Arrives Late
Elizabeth Taylor was a true lady. She believed that a woman should be at least 15 minutes late for a date so that the man waiting for her would suffer a little in anticipation. Therefore, in her will, the beautiful actress, renowned for her angelic beauty and violet-colored eyes, requested that her coffin be delivered to the ceremony 15 minutes late. She decided that she wouldn’t change even after death.
However, don’t think that Elizabeth Taylor was just a superficial person concerned only with the impression she made on others. After the actress’s death, her jewelry and dresses were sold. And all the proceeds, as the actress bequeathed, went to the AIDS Foundation.
Moreover, Elizabeth Taylor herself founded this foundation. The actress left no children. Therefore, after her death, she directed the money in the most appropriate way: to help people who were desperately ill with AIDS.
In their will, a person gets the opportunity to literally express not only their will but also their feelings. They show what was important to them and what was not, whom they loved and whom they were indifferent to. It’s worth carefully considering your will, as it can make your loved ones genuinely smile at your joke one last time and remember you with kind words…