A will is a legal document that expresses a person’s desire on how his/her money shall be distributed after he/she is gone. Over the years we have seen some really interesting and strange wills.
Here is a list of some of the weirdest wills you have ever heard of.
1. The Rose Will – Famous comedian Jack Benny included a provision in his will, according to which, his wife was supposed to receive a rose daily, until the day she dies.
This strange will is probably the most romantic will to ever be drafted.
His wife kept receiving the roses for nine long years.
2. The Millionaire Dog Will – In her will, businesswoman Leona Helmsley left close to 12 million dollars for her dog.
There have been few instances, where the owner has left behind a part of his/her own property for their pets, but nothing comes close to what Helmsley did for her dog.
This probably made her dog one of the richest dogs in the planet.
3. The Remarriage Will – A man included a weird clause in his will. According to this clause, his wife will inherit all his fortune only if she remarries.
What’s even more strange is his reason behind this action.
He did this so that there would be at least one person who would regret his death after he is gone.
4. The Drum Body Will – A guy wanted to donate his body so that his friend could make drums with his skin.
Not only was his friend supposed to make drums with his skin, but every year on July 17, he was supposed to play the same drums in the morning to commemorate the anniversary of the famous Revolutionary war battle.
5. The Dead Dinner Will – Â The will required servants to serve dinner every night just in case the Bowmans returned from dead.
John Bowman always thought that he and his entire family would soon be reincarnated.
So, before he died, he created a trust which was suppose to not only maintain his mansion after he was gone, but also serve dinner every day.
6. Shakespeare’s bed Will – Shakespeare left only his second best bed for his wife
We all know William Shakespeare was one of the most prolific dramatists of his time. Needless to say, that he really made some wealth.
Strangely, in his will, he left almost nothing for his wife and most of his money went to his daughter.
7. The Roddenberry Space Will – Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry demanded that his ashes be scattered in space.
His fascination with space is something we are all aware of. And it seems his fascination did not stop even after he was dead.
8. The Pringles Will – Pringles owner Fred Baur wanted his ashes to be buried in a Pringles can.
Apparently, the Pringles owner loved his company so much that he wanted to remain associated with it even after he was gone.
9. The Maximum Baby Will – A man once made a will that stated a part of his fortune will go to the woman who can give birth to the maximum number of babies, the year he dies.
Believe it or not, there were actually quite a few women who wanted to claim the prize. Ultimately, four women were tied for the first position.
10. George Bernard Shaw’s Will – In his will, he left a major portion of his wealth for the promotion of a new alphabet.
Bernard Shaw was a man who literally played with words. His love for language and linguistics is well known.
Interestingly, the court overruled his will, and instead the money was distributed to The British Museum, The National Gallery of Ireland and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
11. Mr. Zink’s Sexist Library Will – In his will, he mentioned that he wanted his money to be used for the creation a library where no women are allowed.
He hated women. So, he wanted to make a library where no women would be admitted as members. He also wanted no books by female authors in his library.
12. The Phone Directory Will –Â Portuguese aristocrat Luis Carlos de Noronha Cabral da Camara, in his will, left a sizeable fortune to 70 strangers randomly chosen out of a Lisbon phone directory.
Most people thought that it was just a joke, but later, it turned out that he was actually serious. Now, that is luck.