≡ Celebrity Wills That Took an Unexpected Turn ➤ Brain Berries

When regular people write wills, it’s usually to give all their stuff to the family and friends, but famous people have their own little quirks. Some of them left instructions so specific that you can practically hear them narrating the whole thing from beyond the grave.

1. Leona Helmsley left her dog $12 million

Hotel magnate Leona Helmsley ensured that her sweet little Maltese, Trouble, would never have to worry about anything that money can buy. Her will set aside $12 million in a trust for the dog’s care. That is quite a generous allowance for a cute puppy.

A judge later reduced the fund to $2 million, but even after that, Trouble remained wealthier than most people reading this list.

2. Karl Lagerfeld left a fortune to his beloved cat

Fashion legend Karl Lagerfeld had one very special companion: his pampered Birman cat, Choupette. Before his death in 2019, the Chanel designer made it clear that his furry friend should continue enjoying her luxurious lifestyle, complete with personal caretakers, gourmet meals, and plenty of attention. Reports suggested that Choupette was among the beneficiaries of his fortune, although the exact details of his will were never publicly confirmed.

Imagine being a cat with your own Instagram following, household staff, and a possible multimillion-dollar inheritance. Choupette was already living better than most humans, and Lagerfeld apparently wanted to make sure the good life never ended.

3. Marilyn Monroe wanted to spread her riches

Marilyn Monroe left everything she had to her mentor Lee Strasberg. She specified in her will that all her riches and personal possessions should go to her friends, colleagues, and loved ones. Instead, Strasberg snaked all those goodies for himself like a greedy troll.

After years of hoarding Monroe’s stuff, Strasberg’s third wife, Anna, started selling items like the JFK Happy Birthday gown and Monroe’s baby piano to the highest bidders, which made her over $13 million in 1999.

4. Napoleon Bonaparte’s hair jewelry

Napoleon instructed his valet, Louis Marchand, to preserve his hair and have it made into bracelets with small gold chains for members of his family. Hair jewelry had a place in historical remembrance, although the idea itself can make some modern people feel queasy and takes some time to adjust to.

Today, a keepsake might be a watch or an old USB drive with thousands of photos, but Napoleon’s “gifts” were considerably more personal.

5. Benjamin Franklin left diamonds with conditions

Benjamin Franklin left his daughter, Sarah Bache, a portrait of Louis XVI surrounded by 408 diamonds. That’s a huge up until you read the rest of the will. Franklin requested that those diamonds must not be turned into jewelry, because he apparently disliked the expensive fashion of wearing jewels. Imagine receiving hundreds of diamonds and discovering that your father had included a lecture about showing off.

The gems were eventually given to relatives, and some were simply sold for money. Technically, none of them were turned into jewelry, so you can rest easy, Mr. Franklin.

6. Janis Joplin prepaid for her own funeral party

Janis Joplin left $2,500 in her will to fund a party after her death. Her friends followed through at the Lion’s Share in San Anselmo, California, on October 26, 1970. The invitations had one simple message on them: “Drinks are on Pearl.” The singer’s choice to cover one last tab was particularly appropriate.

Even after she was gone, Joplin gave her friends a reason to spend an evening together during an awful time, along with explicit permission to order another drink.

7. William Shakespeare left his wife the “second-best bed”

Shakespeare famously left his wife, Anne Hathaway (no, not that Anne Hathaway), his “second best bed,” complete with its furnishings. Naturally, people have spent decades wondering whether that was his way of sticking it to his spouse one last time or if it was a genuinely thoughtful gift.

Four centuries later, the furniture is still causing discussion. Shakespeare certainly knew how to leave an audience guessing.

8. Charles Dickens ordered no funeral fuss

Charles Dickens’s will requested an inexpensive, strictly private burial and objected to elaborate mourning accessories, describing them as “revolting absurdity.” He also didn’t want his burial’s time or place to be publicly announced. This was a man trying very hard to prevent his own funeral from becoming a huge event.

Unfortunately, being one of Britain’s most notorious writers made that wish difficult to achieve, and today, Dickens is resting in Westminster Abbey, one of the most visited spots in all of London.

9. Harry Houdini left his library full of strange knowledge

Houdini’s collection of books about magic and spiritualism went straight to the Library of Congress. In 1927, they received 3,988 volumes through his bequest, including material dating back to 1489. He loved using books that helped expose fake mediums, making the collection especially intriguing.

It was a suitably extraordinary legacy for a legendary escape artist to leave his font of knowledge to generations of future readers, who have inherited access to his fascination with the impossible.