Petty From Beyond the Grave

While most people view a last will and testament as a final chance to protect and provide for their loved ones, history proves that some folks preferred to use their final hours to settle a score. Imagine spending your whole life expecting a massive inheritance, only to find out your wealthy relative left you a legally binding insult. From leaving fortunes to random strangers to demanding bizarre conditions, these disgruntled testators made sure their final acts on Earth were the pettiest.

Bain News Service, publisher on Wikimedia

1. Heinrich Heine's Marital Condition

The famous German poet left his entire estate to his wife, Mathilde, but his generosity came with a notoriously bitter catch. He legally mandated that she could only collect the funds if she remarried. So that there would be at least one man who would daily regret his passing.

Moritz Daniel Oppenheim on Wikimedia

2. The Conditional Fortune of T.M. Zink

An attorney from Iowa who deeply despised women decided to place his entire fortune into a closely guarded trust fund for a truly absurd purpose. He specified that the money must accumulate interest for seventy-five years to build an entirely female-free library. His daughter was left completely penniless as a result.

Emil Widlund on Unsplash

3. Eleanor Ritchey's Canine Empire

When this wealthy oil heiress passed away, she chose to completely bypass her human relatives in favor of her beloved collection of stray dogs. Around one hundred and fifty lucky pups inherited millions of dollars. This funded a luxurious estate and top-tier veterinary care for the rest of their lives.

Alvan Nee on Unsplash

4. Samuel Bratt's Smoky Revenge

A British man who was forbidden from enjoying his favorite smokes during his marriage found a brilliant way to get the last laugh. He left her a massive fortune of several hundred thousand pounds on the sole condition that she take up smokes.

JonasBratt on Wikimedia

5. Charles Vance Millar's Stork Derby

This Canadian lawyer loved pulling elaborate pranks. And he used his passing to orchestrate the most chaotic competition Toronto had ever seen. He left the bulk of his massive estate to whichever local mother could give birth to the most children in the decade following his passing.

Unknown authorUnknown author on Wikimedia

6. Jeremy Bentham's Eternal Presence

The eccentric philosopher decided against leaving his physical remains or his wealth to a traditional family funeral service. He demanded that his body be stuffed, dressed in his finest clothes, and seated on a chair inside a glass display cabinet at University College London. His friends and relatives were forced to play along.

Henry William Pickersgill on Wikimedia

7. Frank Mandelbaum's Traditional Ultimatum

This wealthy businessman wanted to control his son's love life from beyond. He declared that his son would be completely cut off from the family fortune unless he married a Jewish woman. The legal battle that followed was messy to say the least.

Sandy Millar on Unsplash

8. Wellington Burt's Century of Waiting

An incredibly wealthy lumber baron from Michigan harbored an intense grudge against his children. It led him to lock his money away for nearly a century. His will dictated that his massive fortune could not be touched or distributed until twenty-one years after his last surviving grandchild passed.

Unknown authorUnknown author on Wikimedia

9. Lord Rockland's Insulting Penny

You might think getting nothing in a will is bad. But this nobleman made sure his son felt the sting of a highly specific inheritance. He left the young man a single, solitary penny alongside a lengthy letter detailing every single disappointment the boy had caused.

Debby Hudson on Unsplash

10. Leona Helmsley's Pampered Pooch

This billionaire hotel tycoon shocked the world by leaving a multi-million-dollar trust fund to her Maltese dog. Her human grandchildren received absolutely nothing. Or were forced to meet strict criteria.

Joe Caione on Unsplash

11. John Bowman's Ghostly Preparation

Believing deeply in reincarnation, this wealthy businessman from Vermont wanted to make sure he was comfortable upon his inevitable return to Earth. He established a massive trust fund solely to maintain his mansion. And keep a full staff employed to prepare dinner every single night just in case his spirit walked through the door.

AnonymousUnknown author on Wikimedia

12. Jonathan Jackson's Cat Mansion

A nineteenth-century eccentric chose to spend his vast wealth on an architectural marvel for felines. His will provided funds to build a massive cat hotel. Complete with dormitories, exercise grounds, and a custom accordion player to keep them entertained.

Amber Kipp on Unsplash

13. Francis Lord Francis-Hope's Masterpiece Ban

This British aristocrat absolutely hated his younger brother. He legally barred his sibling from ever selling or even looking at the famous family art collection. Which was locked away in a private vault.

Joseph Corl on Unsplash

14. Robert Louis Stevenson's Birthday Gift

The famous author decided to completely disinherit a healthy friend from any financial gain. But he gave away something much more unique. He legally transferred his own birthday to a young girl who complained about being born on Christmas Day.

Lloyd Osbourne on Wikimedia

15. The Labored Tasks of Juan Potomachi

A wealthy Argentine man wanted to make sure his lazy relatives actually worked for their inheritance. His testament stated that his cousins would only receive their shares if they completed several years of manual labor in a state-run facility. You can only imagine the horror these pampered individuals faced.

Alexander Grey on Unsplash

16. Madam de la Bresse's Feathered Wardrobe

This French woman decided that her wealth should go toward a very specific fashion statement. She left her entire estate to her favorite parrot. With the condition that the bird be dressed in a new satin gown every week.

Christopher Alvarenga on Unsplash

17. The Silent Household of Henry Budd

When a wealthy British property owner passed away, he used his fortune to enforce a lifelong sibling rivalry. He left his two sons a massive estate. But stipulated that if either man ever grew a mustache, they would instantly lose their half of the money to the other brother.

Jc86035 on Wikimedia

18. Purnell Pratt's Dramatic Exit

An actor from Hollywood decided that his final bow should include a direct snub to his estranged wife. Who had annoyed him for decades. He left her a grand total of one dollar, stating in the public document that she already knew exactly why she did not deserve a penny more.

Trailer screenshot Licencing information : https://web.archive.org/web/20080321033709/http://www.sabucat.com/?pg=copyright and http://www.creativeclearance.com/guidelines.html#D2 on Wikimedia

19. George Bernard Shaw's Alphabet Revolution

The brilliant playwright chose to use his substantial residual earnings to fund a completely new, phonetic alphabet. He hated the English writing system so much that he wanted his money to completely replace it. Creating the Shavian alphabet instead.

Unknown authorUnknown author; published in The Star. on Wikimedia

20. The Ultimate Sarcasm of S. Sanborn

An American patriot wanted to show his dedication to his country. He demanded that he be turned into two drumheads. which would be given to a local drummer to play national anthems. His family was left with the disturbing knowledge after he passed.

Unknown authorUnknown author on Wikimedia