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SMALL BUSINESS
Gifts and Giggles From the Grave
Previous-
Bizarre Bequests
Many eccentrics have left behind extraordinarily bizarre provisions in wills, from requesting that their corpse attend meetings, to dedicating part of their estate to a better alphabet.
See how Howard Hughes, George Bernard Shaw and Dusty Springfield make it into our collection of wackiest bequests of the famous and not-so-famous.
Next: Corpse Annually "Attends" Meetings -
University College London
Jeremy Bentham
Economist Jeremy Bentham left a large fortune to the University College in London on condition that his preserved corpse annually "attend" the board of directors' meetings. For many years he was recorded as "present but not voting."
Next: A Bequest for an Improved Alphabet -
Jim Mone, AP
George Bernard Shaw
Playwright George Bernard Shaw bequeathed millions to whomever could come up with a better alphabet.
He insisted it have at least 40 "letters" that could be used to write the English language without the oddities we deal with thanks to the 26-letter alphabet.
Next: Fortune Falls on the
Fortune Teller -
Vincent Yu, Getty Images
Nina Wang
When billionaire Nina Wang died of cancer she bequeathed her fortune to her fortune teller, Tony Chan. Her personal fortune was estimated to be worth over $4 billion.
According to reports, Wang willed her entire estate to him because he understood her the best. The 48-year old is married with three children and had a successful property trading business.
Next: Founder of Nokia Turned Seniors into Millionaires -
Tony Lewis, Getty Images
Onni Nurmi
When Onni Nurmi, a Finnish man who made money in America in the 1920s, passed away, he left dividends from 780 shares in a rubber boot company "for the recreation of the people" living in a Finnish village nursing home.
The company, Nokia, moved into electronics in the 1980s and soon became the largest manufacturer of mobile phones. Its shares have made millionaires of the residents of the nursing home.
Next: A Bequest for the Soul -
James Kidd
In 1946, prospector James Kidd granted his estate to research to find scientific proof that a soul leaves the human body at death.
The trust was granted to the American Society for Psychical Research.
Next: Rejection Didn't Stop This Billionaire From Bequeathing Millions -
Pierre-Yves Goavec, Getty Images
Ruth Lilly
Ruth Lilly, an amateur poet and billionaire heiress, bequeathed $100 million to an ailing poetry magazine that repeatedly rejected her work.
The 87-year-old submitted her poems in the 1970s to 'Poetry,' the Chicago literary monthly. The editor thought them unsuitable for publication and returned them with a handwritten note.
Next: This Bequest is The Cat's Meow -
Dusty Springfield
British singer Dusty Springfield's 1999 will specified that a bequest for her cat, Nicholas, be spent on a lifetime supply of Nicholas' favorite meal -- imported baby food.
Additionally, Dusty's will instructed that Nicholas' bed be lined with Dusty's nightgown and that Dusty's recordings be played each night at Nicholas' bedtime.
Next: Lawyer Bequests Fortune to Woman With the Most Babies -
Charles Millar
Lawyer Charles Millar willed most of his $1 million fortune to the woman who produced the most babies in Toronto, within 10 years following his death.
But his mischievous didn't stop there. Millar bequeathed shares in a jockey club to two men who were well-known for their opposition to racetrack betting, and left shares in a brewery to every Protestant minister in Toronto.
Next: Marvel Comics Editor Requests Ink-and-Ashes Comics -
Marty Lederhandler, AP
Mark Gruenwald
When Mark Gruenwald, of Marvel Comics fame, died in 1996, he left instructions in his will for his heirs blend the ashes of his body with ink and use the mixture within the pages of a comic book.
According to an Associated Press story, 4,000 copies of Gruenwald's 'ink-and-ashes' edition was distributed in 1997.
Next: The Will of a Star-Struck Fan -
ZUMA Press
Starstruck Bronson Fan
A starstruck Charles Bronson fan named Audrey Jean Knauer left $290,000 to the idolized actor.
She'd never met him before or engaged in contact by any means.
Next: I Give Unto My Wife My Second Best -
National Archives
William Shakespeare
The legendary playwright bequeaths his "second best bed with the furniture" to his wife.
Scholars today are undecided whether this was an honor or an insult. But it is commonly believed that the "best bed" was intended for guests, and the "second best bed" was for husband and wife.
Next: This Will is no Phoney -
Luis da Camara
A Portuguese man who had no family of his own, picked the names of his heirs out of the a Lisbon phone book.
When he died at age 42, Luis da Camara's last act on earth bestowed £6,000 to each of the 70 disbelieving "heirs."
Next: This Toymaker Knew How to Toss Some Fun Into His Will -
AP
Ed Headrick, Perfector of the Frisbee
The man who perfected the Frisbee, Ed Headrick, loved frisbies so much that his dying wish was for his ashes to be moulded into memorial discs.
"Steady Ed" also instructed that the discs be sold and the profits go to a museum dedicated to the history of the frisbee.
Next: Howard Hughes' Mormon Will -
Howard Hughes
The death of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes brought forth a flurry of claims for his fortune. However, the wills that surfaced were declared forgeries.
The most famous one was discovered in the headquarters of the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City. The "Mormon will," as it came to be known, left one-16th of Hughes' $2 billion fortune to a service station owner named Melvin Dummar.
Dummar claimed that he once picked up Hughes in a Nevada desert and give him a ride.
Next: Dog-Gone Weird Bequest -
Getty Images
Betty White
Former 'Golden Girl' Betty White plans to leave her $5 million estate to her pets, according to newspaper reports.
Next: Getting Back at People Who Double-Park -
Getty RF
Robert Allan Miller
In his final will and testament, Robert Allan Miller of Bethlehem, Pa., did his part to reduce the annoying traffic situations caused by double-parking.
Miller, who died in 1995 at age 64, bequeathed $5,000 as reward money for officers who write the most tickets for double-parking.
Next: This Man Left Behind an Echo of his Hatred for the Moustache -
Henry Budd
In 1862, Henry Budd left £200,000 in a trust for his two sons on the condition that neither grew a moustache.
Next: More Specials -
How Would You Invest Your Windfall?
What would you do if you were the recepient of a generous (or bizarre) bequest? Would you stash that cash or blow as if you won the lottery?
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