When we create a Will, we usually make arrangements for our family members and friends to secure their future. But there are some celebrities with high net worth tax plans who have made Wills with Strange Requests or you can say Craziest wills Requests Inspiring Us to Think Outside the Box.
Estate planning for high net worth individuals has the same importance as it is there for a person worth $20000-$30000. Both are hard-earned assets and everyone wants to get them distributed among their family members after them.
Following is the list of Famous Celebrities who died with a Last Will and Testament having some unique and weird conditions which will give you an insight on what to include and what to avoid while writing your own Will. You may also check for the sample wills online to have an idea.
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“Should have done this before, had made it up to be really hard in my head. This was super easy!”
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, statesman, diplomat, printer, and political philosopher who died at the age of 84 in 1790.
Benjamin Franklin wanted his money to gain interest for 200 years. Franklin bequeathed £1,000 (one thousand British Pounds) each to his native city of Boston, Massachusetts and his adopted city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by forming 2 trusts. That amount was equivalent to several thousand dollars by his death in 1790, or $125,000 in 2021.
Strange Request made to Daughter: Do not engage in wearing expensive jewelry.
The reason behind this was that Franklin had a picture of the King of France with 480 diamonds on it. He didn't want his daughter to remove those diamonds and make ornaments out of it.
Click here to read his complete Will.
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-American escape artist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts.
In his Will, he gave $500 to each of his three assistants, $1,000 to the Society of American Magicians and requested that portions of his estate be liquidated and distributed to family members over time, and to his Wife, he gave 1/6th of the estate and the remaining portions to his remaining siblings.
In his later life, after the death of his mother, Harry started being interested in spiritualism. He spent several years trying to communicate with her but did not succeed. Later on, he left a 10-digit secret code to his wife to communicate with him after his death.
Strange Request made to Wife- Conduct yearly seance after my death.
He asked that a seance be conducted yearly following his death and he will prove his existence.
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens was an English writer novelist of the Victorian era, known for the world's best-known fictional characters.
He distributed his assets among his family members, domestic servants and friends.
Strange request for his funeral- He made a list of things to be not worn at his funeral.
Dickens had left instructions in his last will and testament that he wanted to be buried in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner; that no public announcement be made of the time or place of burial.
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English writer and poet. He is also one of the world’s greatest dramatists and writers.
Shakespeare left the bulk of his property to his two daughters: Susanna Hall and Judith Quinney. To his sister Joan Hart and her three sons, he left money and clothes.
Strange Request in the Will. - I give my wife, “My second best Bed”.
Shakespeare gave nothing to his Wife but his second-best bed. That was something very strange. This request was written at the end of Will and it seemed as if he had written it with shaky hands during his last times and it took a lot of time to understand what he had written exactly for his wife.
Lessons we learnt from these Wills:
- Think about your family.
Keep in mind that your loved ones are already disturbed by your demise. Do not complicate your last Wills and testament. Make a Will that is easy to execute.
- Do not request something impossible or difficult in your Will.
Do not burden your family with your exceptional wishes. Try to make things easier for them after your death.
