From disinheriting family members to secretly leaving fortunes to strangers, people often use their wills to reveal shocking secrets or settle old scores. For many, this final document becomes their last act of revenge—or surprise.
As people age, thoughts about the future of their loved ones naturally arise. Many write their wills early while still healthy, while others do it only after facing a terminal diagnosis. Some split their assets among family, but others draft unexpected, even outrageous, instructions that leave their families stunned.
Reddit users recently shared some of the wildest, most unbelievable wills they’ve come across. Here are some of the most jaw-dropping examples:
1. The Goldfish Trust Fund
u/scarlett_pimpernel, a solicitor, once had a client set up a £100,000 trust for her ordinary goldfish, demanding it be fed fresh avocado daily and cared for by a local dog walker.
2. The Hidden Daughter
Another woman secretly left money and photos to a daughter no one—including her husband—knew about.
3. A Grateful Passenger
One woman left her entire house and belongings to a bus driver who had been kind to her. Her family, needless to say, was furious.
4. The Coffin Prank
One man requested to be buried in a spring-loaded coffin designed to scare future archaeologists—unless it was too costly, in which case he preferred cremation.
5. Saving the Horse
A woman’s will requested her horse be euthanized and cremated with her, but luckily, she had named a horse that had already passed away.
6. Unique Inheritances
Stories included pet trusts, trips to scatter ashes around the world, and a Toronto man leaving his fortune to whichever local woman had the most children on a given date (the winner had 10!).
7. Grandfather’s Special Gift
One man left his grandson a ridiculous navy tie covered in pink elephants, claiming wearing it intimidated business rivals by showing he didn’t care what others thought.
8. Conditional Inheritance
A woman required one son to visit a dentist and another to lose 70 pounds before receiving their inheritances.
9. The 56-Page Will
While most wills are around 10 pages, one woman created a meticulous 56-page document, assigning even the smallest household item.
10. Illegal Burial Request
One woman requested to be buried beside her husband on her rural property—something completely illegal, though she refused to explain the full story.
11. Zoo Day
A man left instructions for his family to visit the zoo right after his burial. Others left most of their wealth to their churches.
12. The Elvis Impersonator
One man left his entire estate to an Elvis impersonator, cutting out his family completely.
13. Disturbing Beneficiary
A young man who orchestrated his parents’ deaths inherited a multi-million-dollar trust, though he remained in a mental institution, using small portions of the money for commissary purchases.
14. Revenge with Cats
Parents left millions in art and cash to charities and gave their kids only the family cats—because the kids had once forced them to keep the unwanted pets.
15. The Outhouse Gift
After fighting off city attempts to seize his land, one man bequeathed the City Council the contents of his outhouse—literally.
16. The Taxi Driver Heir
One woman left her substantial estate to her regular taxi driver, shocking her longtime friend and previous beneficiary, who unsuccessfully contested the will.
17. Grandma’s Hidden Fortune
One Redditor shared how their husband eagerly awaited his grandma’s death, believing she was secretly rich. At the will reading, the lawyer revealed Grandma did have hidden wealth—but only if the husband fulfilled three conditions: living in her old trailer for a year without upgrades, volunteering at an animal shelter every weekend for two years, and writing a public essay about humility. Otherwise, it all went to the shelter. Grandma had the last laugh!