It’s often hard to plan and figure out what’s going to happen after your death. For those with large estates, deciding who’s going to get what can be especially hard. Nobody likes to ask tough questions like, “What’s going to happen after we pass away?”
We are often fascinated by the rich and famous lives, but we tend to forget that they are also people with families and loved ones. Most wills are very straightforward and functional legal documents to ensure that the estate is distributed according to one’s wishes. Even the rich and famous struggle with financial issues, especially when it comes to estate planning and their will. The Free Will Kit helps you with estate planning and preparing your will from the comfort of your home absolutely free of cost!
Let’s take a look at some of the most creative and genius last wills of all time.
- Napoleon
In his will, Napoleon Bonaparte wished that, after his death, his head should be shaved, and his hair should be divided between his friends.
- Benjamin Franklin
In his will, Franklin asked his daughter Sarah to “not engage in the expensive, vain and useless pastime of wearing jewels.” If you’re wondering why he was trying to stop her from wearing jewelry, he’d also left her a portrait with a frame of 408 diamonds.
- Charles Dickens
According to Dickens’ will, no mourners who attended his services were allowed to wear scarves, cloaks, black bows, long hat bands, or any other “revolving absurdity.”
- Thomas Shewbridge
While not particularly prominent in life, the Californian rancher left 29,000 shares in the local electrical company to his two dogs. This meant that his dogs were always present at meetings of the Board of Directors.
- Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe decided not to hand over her legacy to her family. Instead, she left it all to Lee Strasberg, her acting coach. All of her personal effects remained in Lee’s basement until he died himself.
- Fred Baur
Founder of the famous company Pringles, Baur asked instead that his body be cremated and buried in Pringles’s can. His family had complied with the request.
- Mickey Rooney
The actor had only about $80,000 when he passed away in 2014, and he gave none of it to his wife and children. They tried to oppose the will, and eventually, they lost.
- Jeremy Bentham
Bentham asked that his body be preserved, stuffed with hay, and displayed at the University College of London. This has been done, and his body is still on display — Dr. Thomas Smith, the executor of the will of Bentham, did the stuffing himself.
- John Bowman
Bowman’s wife and daughter died before he died. The socialite supposed that once he died, the entire family could come back to life. He left behind $50,000 to hire a staff member who would keep his home and cook a meal every day if they came back to life.
- George Bernard Shaw
The renowned author and playwright died in 1950, leaving money to finance the development of a new alphabet. It had to be phonetic, 40 letters long. The Shaw Alphabet was formed by the end of 1950.
- Mark Gruenwald
The Chief Editor of Captain America and Iron Man for Marvel asked in his will that his ashes be mixed with the ink used to print comic books. His remains were mixed with the ink in the paperback of Squadron Supreme.
- Leona Helmsley
The real estate mogul died in 2007. She left $10 million to her brother, $5 million to her grandchildren, and $12 million to her Maltese pup named Trouble.
- Harry Houdini
The magician and escape artist left a secret code to his wife, which he would use to get in touch with her afterlife. She held sessions every year on the date of his death (Halloween) but was never successful.
- Gene Roddenberry
He asked for his ashes to be scattered in space. This has, indeed, been done. His ashes were successfully released by a satellite orbiting the Earth in 1997.
- Janis Joplin
The musician left $2,500 to pay for an all-night party in her favorite pub after her death.
Conclusion
No matter how much money or assets a person has, they need a final will to ensure that their belongings are left to the parties they intend to be left with. Making your free will online is an easy task with the help of the Free Will Kit. Get one for yourself today, totally free of charge!
References
- http://www.mgeorgelawfirm.com/wills-trusts/famous-last-wills-and-testaments/
- https://www.everplans.com/articles/the-last-wills-and-testaments-of-the-deceased-and-famous
