Wills are meant to tie up the loose ends of a life—assigning assets, memorializing loved ones, and ensuring that final
wishes are honored. Yet every so often, a testament stands out not for its solemnity but for its sheer audacity.
From funding a goldfish’s avocado diet to disinheriting entire families—or even instructing an animal’s
euthanasia—some people use their last document to astonish heirs and legal professionals alike.
Drawing on anecdotes shared in online communities and court records, this multi-part series explores the most shocking, humorous, and deeply puzzling provisions ever included in a will. You will meet fortune left to strangers, criteria that hinge on personal transformations, and legacies that confound conventional estate planning. Beyond the headline-grabbing oddities, these stories reveal how final documents can reflect an individual’s sense of humor, desire for justice, or need for control.
