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(#1) Napoleon Bonaparte
- Dec. at 52 (1769-1821)
The French military leader and 19th-century emperor asked that his head be shaved after his death, and his hair divided up among his friends.
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(#2) Leona Helmsley
- Dec. at 87 (1920-2007)
When hotel owner Leona Helmsley passed in 2007, she left $10 million to her brother, $5 million to her grandsons, and a whopping $12 million to her Maltese, Trouble.
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(#3) Benjamin Franklin
- Dec. at 84 (1706-1790)
Founding Father Ben Franklin left his daughter 408 diamonds - on the condition that she never turn them into jewelry "and thereby introduce...the expensive, vain, and useless fashion of wearing jewels in this country."
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(#4) Dusty Springfield
- Dec. at 60 (1939-1999)
Pop singer Dusty Springfield left very specific instructions in her will. Not about her estate or family, but about her cat Nicholas. The '60s singer asked that her feline be fed imported baby food, live in an indoor treehouse, be serenaded at night with Dusty's old records, have his bed lined with Dusty's pillowcase and nightgown, and get married to a friend's female cat.
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(#5) Alexander McQueen
- Dec. at 41 (1969-2010)
British fashion designer Alexander McQueen was a creative genius shrouded in mystery. After he passed in 2010, he left most of his fortune to charity, but earmarked nearly $75,000 for his dogs.
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(#6) Harry Houdini
- Dec. at 52 (1874-1926)
Harry Houdini always had a trick up his sleeve, and apparently he expected to work some magic in the afterlife as well. At the time of his death, he asked that his wife, Bess, to hold a seance every year to try to contact his spirit.
The two even developed a secret code so that they would know if it was truly his spirit that was present.
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(#7) Philip Seymour Hoffman
- Dec. at 47 (1967-2014)
When actor Philip Seymour Hoffman passed in 2014, his will kicked up some family drama. Hoping to avoid turning his children into "trust fund kids," Hoffman left everything to his girlfriend.
He also requested that his son, Cooper, be raised in three cities: New York, Chicago, and San Fransisco.
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(#8) Charles Dickens
- Dec. at 58 (1812-1870)
English author Charles Dickens was really particular about his funeral. In his will, he wrote wardrobe requirements for his memorial service. He requested that "those attending my funeral wear no scarf, cloak, black bow, long hat-band, or other such revolting absurdity."
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(#9) Marilyn Monroe
- Dec. at 36 (1926-1962)
Marilyn Monroe left all of her personal effects to her acting coach, Lee Strasberg.
Apparently, all of her belongings resided in Lee's basement until the day he died.
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(#10) William Shakespeare
- Dec. at 52 (1564-1616)
Playwright William Shakespeare left his wife his "second-best bed."
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(#11) William Randolph Hearst
- Dec. at 88 (1863-1951)
Magazine mogul William Randolph Hearst used his will to put long-time rumors to rest. He stated that anyone who could prove they were his child would receive one whole dollar.
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(#12) George Bernard Shaw
- Dec. at 94 (1856-1950)
When author George Bernard Shaw died, he made sure his legacy would live on forever. Shaw left money behind to restructure a brand new alphabet, sometimes called the "Shaw Alphabet." He wished to reform the alphabet into a phonetic version with at least 40 letters, and stand distinctly different from the Latin alphabet. It actually came to fruition in 1950.
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(#13) Gene Roddenberry
- Dec. at 70 (1921-1991)
Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, used his will to request a space burial. In 1997, his remains were the first to be launched into space. Roddenberry's wife's remains followed in 2009.
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(#14) Jeremy Bentham
- Dec. at 84 (1748-1832)
British lawyer Jeremy Bentham requested that his body be preserved, stuffed with hay, and displayed in the University College London.
The executor of his will (and his best friend), Dr. Thomas Smith, dissected and stuffed Bentham's body himself.
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(#15) Fred Baur
- Dec. at 90 (1918-2008)
Fred Baur is credited with inventing the Pringles can. He was so proud of his creation that he even asked to be buried in one. His family embraced his eccentricity and complied with his final wishes.
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(#16) John B. Kelly, Sr.
- Dec. at 71 (1889-1960)
John B. Kelly, father of Grace Kelly, used his will to ask his daughter to curb her spending habits. Kelly asked Grace to "not bankrupt the Principality of Monaco with the bills about her clothing."
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(#17) John Bowman
Vermont socialite John Bowman's story is a sad one. His wife and daughter died early, and Bowman held the illusion that the whole family would come back to life once he joined them on the other side.
When he passed in 1891, he set up a trust of $50,000 to employ a staff to upkeep his home and cook a family meal every day — just in case they all came back to life.
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(#18) Golda Bechal
Golda Bechal was a British millionaire who really loved Cantonese food. She left almost her entire multimillion-dollar fortune to her favorite restaurant.
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(#19) Ed Headrick
Ed Headrick invented the Frisbee, and even used to claim that Frisbee was "a religion." At his death, he requested that his ashes be molded into limited-edition Frisbees.
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About This Tool
Although most last wills are to ensure that we can solve the problem of property distribution after our death, there are still some famous people who use their last wishes to express their personal opinions or just for jokes. No matter how ridiculous the last wish is, almost everyone will try their best to fulfill it as a kind of tribute to the dead.
Some people want to commemorate their achievements, while others want to thank those closest to them. The random tool explained 19 weird last wishes made by these celebrities, actors and historical figures in history.
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