People Share the Wildest Wills They’ve Ever Encountered

As people get older, many write wills to decide who inherits their belongings. While most aim to support their loved ones, others leave behind strange or jaw-dropping requests that leave everyone stunned.

One solicitor recalled a client who created a £100,000 trust for her pet goldfish, with strict instructions: the fish had to be fed fresh avocado daily and cared for by a professional dog walker. In another case, a woman’s will revealed a hidden secret—a daughter no one knew about, who was quietly left a sum of money and a box of personal photographs.

Some bequests went to unlikely recipients. One woman left her entire estate to a kind-hearted bus driver, while a man requested to be buried in a spring-loaded coffin, hoping to startle future archaeologists. Another woman asked that her ashes be mixed with her horse’s—even though the horse had passed away years earlier. In Toronto, a man promised his fortune to the woman with the most children, ultimately awarding it to a mother of ten.

Other wills came with peculiar conditions: a son could only inherit if he finally visited a dentist, and one woman wanted to be buried next to her husband on their property—a wish that couldn’t legally be granted.

Some stories were touching, like the man who asked his family to visit the zoo together after his funeral. Others were fueled by resentment, like the parents who left their children nothing but their least favorite cats. One wealthy uncle famously left his entire estate to an Elvis impersonator. And in a chilling twist, a man’s son—who was suspected of causing his parents’ deaths—still inherited everything while confined to a mental institution.

One final act of defiance came from a man who left the contents of his outhouse to the city council, a parting shot after years of disputes over his land. Meanwhile, a woman, believed to have little to her name, secretly left a hidden fortune—but only if her husband completed a list of tasks: live in her rundown trailer for a year without any upgrades, volunteer at an animal shelter, and write an essay about humility.

These extraordinary wills prove that even in death, people can leave behind unforgettable legacies—and a few surprises for those they leave behind.