When a person writes a will, they usually divide their assets among their family members, ensuring their loved ones are taken care of after they pass away. But sometimes, people use this final document to surprise\u2014or even shock\u2014those left behind.<\/p>\n
Some do it out of love, others as a form of revenge, and some simply because they have a unique sense of humor. From leaving fortunes to pets to ensuring future archaeologists get the scare of their lives, the world has seen some truly bizarre final wishes.<\/p>\n
Here are some of the most unexpected and unusual things people have put in their wills, as shared by netizens on Reddit.<\/p>\n
1. A Goldfish with a Trust Fund
\nu\/scarlett_pimpernel:<\/p>\n
As a solicitor, I\u2019ve seen my fair share of odd wills, but one lady\u2019s request really stood out. She came to me, completely serious, and asked to set up a trust fund worth \u00a3100,000 for her pet goldfish.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want my fish to be well taken care of,\u201d she insisted. \u201cIt should be fed fresh avocado daily and looked after by my local dog walker.\u201d<\/p>\n
I had to ask, \u201cIs this some kind of rare or special breed of fish?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d she replied, completely straight-faced. \u201cJust a regular goldfish.\u201d<\/p>\n
I made sure to document everything properly, but I still wonder if that little fish ever got to enjoy its luxury lifestyle.<\/p>\n
2. A Secret Daughter No One Knew About
\nu\/scarlett_pimpernel:<\/p>\n
Another woman came to me with a request that took me by surprise. She confessed she had a secret daughter\u2014a child no one in her family, not even her husband, knew about.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to leave her some money and a few photographs,\u201d she said. \u201cBut my family must never find out.\u201d<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t help but think about what would happen after she passed away. How would the family react when they discovered this shocking secret? One thing was certain\u2014there was going to be a very interesting conversation when her will was read.<\/p>\n
3. The Bus Driver Who Won the Lottery
\nu\/mommy5dearest:<\/p>\n
I used to work at an attorney\u2019s office, and one day, an elderly woman walked in with a surprising request. She wanted to leave her entire house and all her belongings to\u2026 her bus driver.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s the only one who\u2019s been kind to me,\u201d she explained. \u201cHe helps me with my bags, waits for me when I\u2019m slow, and always greets me with a smile.\u201d<\/p>\n
When we drafted the will, we all knew her family would be furious when they found out. And sure enough, they contested it. But I had been a witness to the signing, and the woman was perfectly fine\u2014mentally and physically\u2014when she made her decision.<\/p>\n
That bus driver had no idea that one act of kindness would change his life forever.<\/p>\n
4. The Coffin That Would Frighten Archaeologists
\nu\/WanderCold:<\/p>\n
When I had to write a will for my health insurance at work, I decided to have a little fun. With the lawyer\u2019s approval, I included this special clause:<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish to be buried in a coffin that is spring-loaded, so if future archaeologists ever open it, they will get a good scare.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course, I also had a backup plan:<\/p>\n
\u201cIf this is too expensive, I\u2019d like to be cremated, and my ashes scattered in a place of my choosing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even if my first request doesn\u2019t happen, I hope I at least gave the lawyer a good laugh.<\/p>\n
5. The Horse That Almost Didn\u2019t Make It
\nu\/gabberrella24:<\/p>\n
Working in probate, I\u2019ve seen some strange things, but this one stuck with me. A woman left strict instructions in her will that her beloved horse had to be euthanized, cremated, and have its ashes mixed with hers.<\/p>\n
The only problem? The horse she named in her will had already died before she passed away. So, the new horse she got later in life got to live\u2014and found a new home on another farm instead.<\/p>\n
Lucky horse!<\/p>\n
6. A Lawyer\u2019s Unusual Competition
\nu\/PirateRobotNinjaofDe:<\/p>\n
One of the strangest wills I\u2019ve ever heard of was written by a lawyer who decided to leave millions of dollars to a completely random stranger\u2014but with a catch.<\/p>\n
His money would go to whichever woman in Toronto had the most children on a specific date, years after his death.<\/p>\n
The winner? A woman with 10 kids.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s one way to make sure your money goes to a big family!<\/p>\n
7. My Grandfather\u2019s Tie
\nu\/snoboreddotcom:<\/p>\n
After my grandfather passed away, my grandmother handed me a ridiculous-looking navy-blue tie covered in pink elephants.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was your grandfather\u2019s power tie,\u201d she told me. \u201cHe wore it to intimidate people in business. Someone who wears a tie like this doesn\u2019t care what others think\u2014and that scares people. He wanted you to have it.\u201d<\/p>\n
It may not be a fortune, but it\u2019s one of the best things I\u2019ve ever inherited.<\/p>\n
8. Strange Conditions for an Inheritance
\nu\/ALighterShadeOfPale:<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve seen some very specific conditions written into wills. One woman made sure her adult sons would only get their inheritance if they completed certain tasks:<\/p>\n
One son had to visit a dentist before receiving his share.
\nThe other son wouldn\u2019t get his money unless he lost 70 pounds.
\nAnother woman wanted to be cremated with her cats, but when we told her that human and animal remains can\u2019t be cremated together, she agreed to have them cremated separately and mixed afterward.<\/p>\n
People take their final wishes very seriously!<\/p>\n
9. A 56-Page Will
\nu\/ALighterShadeOfPale:<\/p>\n
Most wills are around 10 pages long, but one woman decided to list every single item in her house in hers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWooden ladle to ____, toilet paper holder to ____, magazine basket to ____\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
She went on for 56 pages, specifying who should get everything\u2014including the smallest, most insignificant objects.<\/p>\n
Talk about being thorough!<\/p>\n
10. A Secret Burial
\nu\/ALighterShadeOfPale:<\/p>\n
One woman insisted that her will include a request to be buried on her rural property next to her husband.<\/p>\n
There was just one problem\u2014burying human remains there was completely illegal.<\/p>\n
When we asked if her husband had been cremated, she refused to answer. But he had only passed away five or six years before, so it wasn\u2019t ancient history.<\/p>\n
To this day, I still wonder\u2014was he really buried there already?<\/p>\n
11. A Final Wish at the Zoo
\nThere was once a man who had a very special request in his will. He wanted his family to go to the zoo immediately after his burial\u2014on the very same day. The people handling his will thought this was heartwarming.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t a typical last wish, but it was clear that he wanted his family to remember him in a place of joy rather than sorrow. Maybe he had fond memories at the zoo, or maybe he just wanted to make sure his loved ones found comfort among the animals instead of drowning in grief. Either way, it was a touching request.<\/p>\n
Beyond this, the law firm handling his will had seen many interesting cases. One trend stood out\u2014many of their clients, belonging to a particular religion, often left at least 90% of their wealth to their church instead of their families. It was a striking example of deep faith and dedication, putting their religious beliefs above personal ties, even in death.<\/p>\n
12. The Elvis Impersonator\u2019s Lucky Day
\nThis isn\u2019t a lawyer\u2019s story, but it\u2019s a wild one. A man had a very rich uncle\u2014though \u201cfamily man\u201d wasn\u2019t exactly his style. He only visited once every ten years, and when he did, he wasn\u2019t rolling out the red carpet. The last time he visited, he took the kids to a Denny\u2019s. That was the extent of his generosity.<\/p>\n
When he passed away, he had no friends left. His wife had tragically died from substance abuse, and according to family whispers, he was a big reason why her life had spiraled downward. You\u2019d think with no close family and no real friends, his money would go to charity or distant relatives. But no\u2014he left his entire estate to an Elvis impersonator. Every last penny.<\/p>\n
Why? No one knew. Maybe he was a die-hard Elvis fan. Maybe this impersonator had done something that touched his heart. Or maybe, in one final act of eccentricity, he just wanted to shock everyone. Whatever the reason, an Elvis lookalike hit the jackpot that day.<\/p>\n
13. The Millionaire Behind Bars
\nAt a bank\u2019s estate department, an administrator once handled a particularly strange case. A huge multi-million-dollar trust was set up for a single beneficiary\u2014the son of the deceased. Everything seemed standard until the administrator learned a disturbing truth: the son was the one responsible for his parents\u2019 deaths. He had pleaded insanity and was locked away in a mental hospital.<\/p>\n
Despite being incredibly wealthy, his only contact with the bank was once a year when he called to request just $50 for the commissary\u2014just enough to buy chips and gum. The calls were eerie. He was always polite, but the quality of the call made it sound like he was speaking from far, far away, as if trapped in another world. Millions of dollars sat untouched, but all he ever wanted was a small taste of the outside world, in the form of cheap snacks.<\/p>\n
14. The Ultimate Revenge\u2014A Gift of Cats
\nLast week, a lawyer handled a case where wealthy parents had left millions in artwork to various people and huge sums of cash to charities. But their own children? They were left with the family cats.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t an oversight. It was revenge. The kids had given their aging parents these cats, insisting they\u2019d provide comfort in their old age. But the parents despised the cats. They wanted to get rid of them, but the children refused to let that happen. So, in their final act, the parents turned the tables\u2014ensuring that those very same children would be responsible for the cats for years to come.<\/p>\n
It was the kind of will that said, loud and clear: \u201cYou thought you were clever? Well, so were we.\u201d<\/p>\n
15. A Gift to Remember
\nA man spent years battling the local government, fighting to keep his land after they tried to seize it to build a water treatment plant. When he finally won, he didn\u2019t forget their attempts to take what was his. So, in his will, he left them something special\u2014the contents of his outhouse.<\/p>\n
Legally, they had to accept his \u201cgift.\u201d His children, fully aware of their father\u2019s long-standing grudge, made sure the joke lived on. They carefully boxed up all the books and magazines from the outhouse and personally delivered them to City Hall.<\/p>\n
16. The Clueless Taxi Driver
\nAn elderly woman left nearly everything she owned\u2014including a sizable estate\u2014to her regular taxi driver. She also named him as the executor of her will. The problem? He had no idea.<\/p>\n
The previous executor, a close friend of the woman, was completely stunned. She had been the main beneficiary in two previous wills and was left only \u00a35,000 in this final version. Feeling betrayed, she contested the will.<\/p>\n
When the taxi driver was informed, he was equally shocked. He didn\u2019t even know the woman had passed away. But after legal procedures, the will was upheld, leaving him with an unexpected windfall. It just goes to show\u2014you never know who might appreciate your kindness.<\/p>\n
17. Grandma\u2019s Hidden Fortune
\nGrandma lived in a run-down trailer her entire life, barely scraping by. But my husband was convinced she was hiding a fortune. He was certain that when she passed, he\u2019d be rolling in money. \u201cSugar,\u201d he whispered to me before the will reading, \u201cput on a smile. We\u2019re about to be rich.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then, the lawyer spoke. \u201cThe last will states that there is a hidden fortune. However, the husband must fulfill three conditions to inherit it. Otherwise, it will go to the local animal shelter.\u201d<\/p>\n
My husband sat up straight, suddenly interested.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst, he must live in her old trailer for a year\u2014no upgrades, no outside help. Second, he must volunteer at the animal shelter every weekend for two years. And finally, he must write an essay on the value of humility and compassion and read it publicly at the shelter\u2019s annual fundraiser.\u201d<\/p>\n
My husband\u2019s face transformed from excitement to pure disbelief. He had spent years waiting for this moment, and now he was faced with a choice\u2014wealth, but at the cost of hard lessons in humility. Grandma sure knew how to teach a lesson from beyond the grave!<\/p>\n
These stories prove one thing: being included in a will can be a blessing or a curse. A few words on a piece of paper can change a person\u2019s life forever. Whether it\u2019s revenge, generosity, or one final lesson, the last wishes of the deceased have the power to reshape the lives of the living.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When a person writes a will, they usually divide their assets among their family members, ensuring their loved ones are taken care of after they pass away. But sometimes, people use this final document to surprise\u2014or even shock\u2014those left behind. Some do it out of love, others as a form of revenge, and some simply […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31697"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31697\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31698,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31697\/revisions\/31698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}