This article was originally published on JustStarz
Barron Hilton
When you think of celebrities named Hilton, the first one to come to mind is probably Paris Hilton. However, she might've never been an icon had her grandfather not built the Hilton hotel empire. He apparently thought so, too. In his will, the hotel magnate left a pretty obvious statement about how he saw his granddaughter's partying lifestyle. He ended up completely excluding her from his will after his death.
The fortune was worth around $4.5 billion, and all of Paris's share ended up going to charity. But clearly, Paris did well for herself without her grandfather's inheritance.
Freddie Mercury
A music legend and one of the most eccentric rock stars in history (which is saying quite a lot), Freddie Mercury shocked the world one last time when he passed away in 1991. Mercury had been the lead singer of Queen and given the world numerous hits by the time he passed away, but his death wouldn't be the last surprise he had for fans. Mercury asked in his will that his fortune be given to Mary Austin, who was an ex-girlfriend and a friend.
Now, normally this wouldn't be too strange for a celebrity to do. However, Mercury had been in a relationship with his boyfriend Jim Hulton for a long time. He also asked that he be buried in a secret location. His wish was granted, and the public had no idea where he ended up.
Karl Lagerfeld
While not a household name like some other people on this list, Karl Lagerfeld's business certainly was. He was the man behind Chanel, and he passed away in 2019. The designer, like many other designers out there, it seems, was a bit odd. In his will, he stated that he wanted his entire fortune to go to his pet cat, who was named Choupette. What a fitting name for a cat that was set to inherit a fortune, right?
It was estimated that the money the cat was set to get would amount to around $200 million. However, this wasn't the only time the designer had expressed his love for his furry feline. He also stated at one point that if he could marry his cat, then he would.
Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay is known for his blunt and disciplined persona in the kitchen. But, apparently, he is like this in real life as well. The celebrity chef has said that he does not plan on giving any money to his children after he passes away. After his many hit T.V. shows and now social media channels, appearances, and whatever else the chef has going on, it is estimated that he is worth around $160 million.
He has specifically stated that his decision not to leave his children with anything is because he does not want them to grow up spoiled.
Robert Kardashian Sr.
Some people don't know that the Kardashian family actually got its start long before reality T.V. and social media. Robert Kardashian Sr. rose to fame after defending O.J. Simpson. By that time, not-yet-famous momager Kris Jenner and the renowned attorney had called it quits. Why? Because she cheated on him with a young athlete. After finding out, Robert filed for divorce, and Kris went on to marry her next partner soon after. Which makes the details of Robert's will all the more surprising.
Not only did Robert leave his children with plenty of money, but he also reportedly left his ex-wife Kris Jenner with an inheritance. It was a nice surprise considering he had previously cut off all of her financial access to his accounts when they divorced. And since he was a lawyer, we doubt he just forgot to update his will; this was certainly intentional.
Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling was a producer best known for working on Beverly Hills 90210. However, Spelling also worked on many more shows and movies, including the likes of Charlie's Angels, and he was known as one of the most prolific men in Hollywood. When he passed away in 2006, it was estimated that he had amassed a large fortune worth around $600 million. Not bad for a son of impoverished immigrants.
However, for some reason, he wrote in his will that the majority of the money should go to his wife. His two children received only around $800,000 each - despite his daughter and famous actress Tori Spelling's dire financial troubles.
Oprah Winfrey
There aren't many people out there today as iconic as Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey has gone from T.V. stardom to owning and operating a successful media corporation worth a fortune. She is also known for her generous philanthropy. However, Winfrey's life has been punctuated by tragedy as well. She lost a daughter and has spoken publicly about being abused by a number of different family members when she was a young child.
Despite this, Winfrey still continues to want to make the world a better place and has said that she plans on giving most of her money to various charities. Another sizable portion will go to her dogs. This will probably be a pretty large sum, considering she is worth around $2.6 billion.
Bob Marley
The iconic musician and activist Bob Marley makes it onto this list not for his strange requests but for his lack of a will entirely! He didn't prescribe to the belief that a will should be drawn up. His decision not to do so was a part of the Rastafari and Jamaican movement's beliefs. However, this left his immediate family somewhat irked after his death. The family began fighting over his estate, and court battles are still going on years after the legendary musician's death. There was also an incident of alleged forgery.
Reportedly, after Marley's death in 1981, his wife attempted to forge papers. The papers would have transferred the ownership of his companies to her name and were predated before his death.
Hugh Hefner
Today, opinions differ on the legacy left behind by media mogul Hugh Hefner. However, one thing that is certain is that the eccentric celebrity built his media empire around a persona of partying, sex, and drugs. Which makes the notes he left in his will all the more surprising. Hefner apparently stipulated that if any of his heirs were discovered to be taking drugs, then they would lose access to their inheritance.
That fortune was estimated to be worth somewhere between $50 and $110 million. So that's a multi-million dollar reason to stay sober.
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was a cultural icon that, even decades after her death, is still remembered fondly by a majority of Americans. However, in addition to the scandals, which undoubtedly aided in her popularity, Monroe actually suffered from addiction throughout her life. She also butted heads with her family, which is why she made sure to leave them out of her will when she passed away. Instead, the cultural icon ended up leaving most of her possessions to her acting coach.
Her coach, named Lee Strasberg, ended up storing all of her possessions in his home until he passed away in 1982. By many accounts, their relationship was one of mutual respect, which makes sense that she would leave everything to him in her will. When he passed away, his wife at the time, who had never actually met Monroe, went on to license her image and make a fortune.
Alexander McQueen
Alexander McQueen was a Scottish fashion designer who founded one of the most successful fashion houses in the world. However, the designer was also beset with depression and sadly passed away by suicide in 2010. Throughout his life, he shunned the spotlight and led a life of privacy. When he passed, his will instructed that his fortune be given to his dogs. However, there was also another bizarre stipulation in his will.
The successful designer wished for his DNA to be incorporated into leather. So you might be wearing a piece of McQueen right now.
Robin Williams
Robin Williams surprised the world when he passed away due to suicide in 2014. For years, the prolific comedian and actor had delighted audiences with his comedy and brought tears to their eyes in his dramas. It was estimated that he had made anywhere from $50 to $100 million throughout his career. However, he had very specific instructions left in his will for when he passed away.
The instructions stipulated that it would be 25 years before his children would get any of their inheritance money. However, it is not known why he left these instructions.
Anna Nicole Smith
Anna Nicole Smith's life was very out in the open, and the model was known for living life to the fullest and in a very public way. She was celebrated during the 1990s as America's next Marilyn Monroe, and her career certainly followed a similar path. She quickly rose to fame and just as quickly fell, passing away in 2007. However, she did draw up a will before her untimely death. And in it, she had stipulated some odd requests.
In her will, she had left her possessions, worth around $474 million, to a son who passed away a year prior to her own death. Of course, this could have just come down to her not updating her will, but why leave everything to a single son in the first place?
Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin was apparently just as cool in death as she was in life. The 1960s singer struggled throughout life with partying and substance use. And she often spoke of this in her lyrics, making her an icon of her era. However, upon passing away, she wanted to make sure her death was not one of sadness and remorse. So, she set aside around $2,500 for one last hurrah for her friends and family.
She stipulated in her will that the money should be used to throw a party at one of her favorite pubs, called The Lions Share, where around 200 people gathered to celebrate her life.
Ashton Kutcher And Mila Kunis
While most of the celebrities on this list lead or have led pretty eccentric lives, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have had pretty everyday lives comparatively. The two came from pretty normal families as well and weren't born into fame, which kind of explains what they plan on doing with their fortune once they pass away. Kutcher has said that they will probably give most of their money to charities in addition to supporting their children.
However, he also said that they would only invest in his children's business ideas if he thought they had good ideas and saw that they were working hard towards their goals, which is pretty sensible.
Patrick Swayze
Patrick Swayze was a popular American movie star who passed away from cancer in 2009. The actor had starred in classics like Road House and Ghost. However, after he passed away, his family was in for a surprise. Swayze had apparently stated in his will that his entire fortune, estimated at some $40 million, would all go to his wife. Some family members, of course, took offense to this and tried to take action.
His brother alleged that the actor's wife had faked documents in a ploy to get her husband's entire fortune. He also asked for an investigation. However, nothing was ever proven.
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini was another larger-than-life figure when he was alive. His death-defying escapes and stunts stunned audiences not just in the U.S. but around the world. So, when he passed away from a simple ruptured appendix under what some considered mysterious circumstances, many were quick to come up with conspiracy theories surrounding his demise. However, there were a couple of other real-life events surrounding his death that were arguably weirder.
For one, he had asked his wife to try to communicate with him through seances if he were to ever pass away. For another, he actually gave her a code so that she would know it was really him if she were to ever get an answer from the other side. She never did.
Elton John
Up next with some strange last wishes is the one-and-only Elton John. The legendary English singer and songwriter and his husband both come from humble beginnings, which is probably why John has said that he does not plan on letting money and the power it brings with it corrupt his two sons. He instead plans to donate it all to different charities. His fortune is estimated at around $300 million.
However, growing up as the child of a celebrity has its own advantages, and we bet the two sons will be just fine without a massive inheritance to their name.
Farrah Fawcett
Like Marilyn Monroe, Farrah Fawcett was a cultural icon in her own right during the 1970s and beyond. She starred in movies like Charlie's Angels and many others and passed away in 2009. However, it was revealed that she left nothing in her will to her then-boyfriend Ryan O'Neal, despite the two reportedly planning on getting engaged. But, looking back at the time, there was probably a good reason for her leaving him out.
There were rumors at the time of incidents of domestic violence going on, and to be honest, we wouldn't want to leave anything to someone like that either if we were in her shoes.
Sean Connery
Sean Connery is possibly one of the most iconic British actors out there for anyone not living in the U.K. He has starred as 007 and built a brand around himself and his voice. However, the actor wasn't always rich or famous. In fact, he grew up rather poor and would sometimes work for around $2 a week. This might help explain why his will is reportedly drawn up the way it is.
The actor has said that when he passes away, he doesn't plan to leave anything to his son. He has said that he would rather his son work to develop himself instead of using his father's fortune as a crutch.
Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell might be known amongst Americans for his unabashed criticisms and role in American Idol, but did you know the British celebrity is actually a very nice person in real life? Cowell donates a large amount of his money to charities, and with an estate valued at around $570 million, that's not a paltry sum. He has said that when he passes away, he plans to donate most of his remaining money to charities.
He said that he does not want to spoil his children and has even already picked out some of the charities to which he plans on donating. They mostly work with children and dogs.
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman struggled with drug abuse throughout his life. However, the actor had been sober for a number of years when his sudden death due to drugs shocked fans around the world. During his time in Hollywood, Hoffman had apparently come to despise the wealth he encountered and the way it made people act, not wanting his children to end up in a similar situation. Upon his death, it was revealed that he left most of his money to his partner.
However, perhaps more surprising is that the estate was only worth a little over $500,000. This was aside from the fact that the actor had spent decades working in Hollywood.
Sting
What is it with musicians and spending extravagant amounts of money? Jokes aside, we honestly can't say that we blame them. If you had come from humble beginnings and suddenly hit it big, you'd probably want nothing more than to enjoy life to the fullest, either. That's exactly what music legend Sting said that he intends to do. He even jokingly said once that the way he spends money means there probably won't be anything left for his children.
However, with an estate supposedly worth around $400 million, we're sure he was just joking. Then again, maybe he wasn't.
James Brown
Possibly one of the greatest musicians of the twentieth century, James Brown inspired legendary bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. After he passed away in 2006, he did what few celebrities actually followed through on and donated all of his money to charities. He left some $100 million to underprivileged kids in his native state of South Carolina and in Georgia, where he ended up spending a lot of his time.
However, his wife and own kids weren't too happy about this and fought the decision in court. The money has been tied up in legal battles ever since, but it was reported in 2021 that a deal surrounding his estate had secured $90 million for his original purpose.
Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse is another musician whose life was punctuated by bouts of substance and alcohol abuse. During her career, she developed a reputation for being a dark soul, and her music certainly added to the development of this reputation. However, before her untimely death, she actually made one of the clearest decisions on this list. Instead of leaving any money to her ex, Blake Fielder-Civil, she made sure to leave all of her money to her parents.
So, despite the outward appearance of a life lived on the edge, Winehouse was in many ways one of the most responsible people on this list. There were also reports of substance abuse and affairs surrounding her ex, which might help explain why he was cut out from her will.
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan has appeared in some classics and is known for his martial arts and performing his own stunts. He is also known for his work ethic, which the actor intends to pass on to his children. He has said that the majority of his money will be given to charity upon his passing. Chan has also said that he wants his son to be his own person and, like many on this list, not end up spoiled.
This is actually one of the less surprising on this list, given Chan's own beginnings. Chan was born to an impoverished family and actually got his start as a stunt man in a Bruce Lee film.
Prince
Another iconic musician makes it onto this list; apparently, they are the worst at making sure their affairs are in order. Prince was no stranger to that even when he was alive, often partying and spending excessive amounts of money. However, his fame and talent ensured there was still plenty to go around after his death. The only problem was that it wasn't entirely clear where all the money should go or to who it should go.
The musician had no children and failed to draw up a will before he passed away in 2016, leaving his fortune of $300 million to his various siblings.
George Michael
George Michael was a prolific English singer. However, while he was busy churning out hits, he didn't marry or have any children. This meant that it wasn't entirely clear who his fortune should go to after he passed away in 2016. At the time, it was estimated that he was worth about $128 million. All of the money eventually ended up going to his godchildren, which just happened to include another famous star.
Spice Girls’ Geri Halliwell’s daughter just happened to be one of the godchildren who inherited a portion of his wealth. Although Michael did have a girlfriend at the time, none of his money went to her.
Jimi Hendrix
When you think about music legends who passed away much too young, one of the first people to come to mind is usually Jimi Hendrix. The famed guitarist was lighting up the world before his death at the age of 27. However, during life, Hendrix apparently had a pretty strained relationship with his father, and upon his own passing, a fight ensued among his family over the late musician's estate.
His father got heavily involved in the fight, and the rights to his inheritance were passed on to his father's adoptive daughter. Today, the estate is still estimated to be worth $175 million and is rumored to include a large amount of unpublished work.
Cher
Although Cher is a living legend that is still around today, some people have wondered how she will distribute her fortune when she passes away, considering her Hollywoodesque family dynamic. While she has not given many details, she has said that she plans to purchase her children a house each. But, being worth $350 million means there is sure to be plenty of more money leftover after she passes away. We're hoping that doesn't come anytime soon.
Cher's sons, of which there are two, have also kind of had a complicated family life. One was estranged from his father before he passed away, and the other is the son of musician Greg Allman, who passed away in 2017.
Paul Walker
Paul Walker will forever be remembered for two things that are pretty intertwined: his role in The Fast and The Furious franchise and his death. The latter occurred because of a tragic car accident in California in 2013. His untimely death shocked fans and even those that weren't particularly attached to the series. Afterward, it was revealed that his daughter was the sole beneficiary listed in his estate.
Walker had reportedly set up a trust for his daughter, who used some of the around $25 million she inherited to set up the Paul Walker Foundation. The foundation works to protect the planet's oceans, which the late actor was a proponent of when he was alive.
George Lucas
George Lucas might not have been the artsiest director of the last five decades, but you have to give credit where credit is due. He simply gives the kid inside people what they want. He is credited for movies like Star Wars and Indiana Jones and has amassed a fortune estimated to be worth around $5.4 billion. He is also apparently somewhat of a philanthropist, focusing his money on education and similar efforts.
Reportedly, after his death, his children are only set to get a small portion of his wealth. However, the term small here is certainly subjective, and when you are talking about billions of dollars, we're sure it equals a large sum of money.
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is a rock and roll legend and has amassed a fortune during his time as a musician and now as a producer. Throughout most of his career, Simmons was known for partying extremely hard while with his band, Kiss. However, he has said on a couple of different occasions that he does not plan to support his children if they do not work hard for whatever they choose to do.
If you look at Simmons's early life, then this sort of makes sense. He has said that he grew up poor and would pick berries to sell in order to help support his family.
Richard Branson
Richard Branson is a British billionaire who seems to have a hand in just about every new field or tech discovery. Branson is also renowned for his philanthropy. And considering his story is one of the rags to riches, it's not that surprising. The billionaire has even said that he plans to donate half his wealth to charitable causes at the time of his death. His net worth is estimated at around $4.4 billion.
He has also said that his children agree with him, which means he must be doing something right. And like other children of rich and powerful celebrities, we're sure they will be just fine without an exorbitant amount of money.
Richard Harrison
Richard Harrison is known for being the no-nonsense patriarch of the family on the T.V. show Pawn Stars. So, it's not really that surprising that "the old man," as his son called him on the show, would leave something a bit controversial in his will. Apparently, he completely left his youngest son out of his will. However, this wasn't always reportedly the case, and the will was updated a year before his death.
As to why he decided to update it, we simply do not know. But, it's perhaps because his youngest son did something that he really did not like. Why else would you change your will at the last minute to leave someone out?
Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra is often compared to the other greats of his era, including The Beatles and Elvis Presley. And much like the latter, his voice and reputation for partying contributed to his rise in fame and popularity. We also imagine it led to his rise in wealth. The singer was worth around $100 million when he died in 1988. However, in Sinatra, we have another man who apparently left little for his wife in his final will.
In his will, Sinatra gave his wife the royalties to all of the money made from his album, 'Trilogy: Past Present Future.’ Considering the album had already come out some eight years earlier and the musician's net worth, he probably could have done much better.
Kevin O'Leary
Kevin O'Leary is a successful business owner and one of the hosts of Shark Tank, which brings on aspiring entrepreneurs who then pitch their businesses. O'Leary actually has a pretty impressive resume himself, and he apparently wants his children to have the same can-do attitude. He has said they will all have to work for their money after they finish college, which is not really unreasonable, to be honest.
He has also said that he learned his work ethic from his mother and that it has helped him throughout life, and from looking at his successes, we really can't argue with that logic.
Martin Luther King Jr.
One of the most iconic men in American history and of the last century, Martin Luther King Jr. fought valiantly for civil rights until his untimely death at the age of 39. King was assassinated, and after a life of putting himself in extraordinary circumstances, it still came as a shock to many people around the U.S. and the world. His short life meant that he never actually ended up putting together a will.
Instead, his estate was handed over to a for-profit organization for management. The fighting followed, and many of his family members ended up selling off his intellectual and physical property.
Charles Dickens
We've all probably read a Charles Dickens novel or two while in grade school. But, one of the most, if not the most, famous English authors of the 1800s actually had some pretty specific requirements upon his death. He stipulated, after he was no longer alive, what kind of clothes should be worn at his funeral and in what color. However, he only left these specific instructions to his nine children.
It begs the question of why? It also makes us ask if he was that much of a fashion aficionado before he passed away in 1869. Some of the items he told them not to wear included black bows, clocks, and scarves.
William Shakespeare
Yes, they had scandals even in the 1600s—one such scandal involved possibly the most famous person in all of English literature, William Shakespeare. Shakespeare allegedly wasn't very much in love with his wife, which goes a long way in explaining the contents of his will. Despite having made enough money from his plays to retire and live the rest of his days on vacation, the poet and playwright reportedly left his wife a paltry sum.
It was stated that he only left her the “second best bed with the furniture,” and that was about it. While it might be sad, it's good to know he had the same sense of humor in real life as he did in his plays.