[PetScribe]

Leona Helmsley leaving $12 million to her Maltese Trouble got me thinking how much I'd leave to my pets. I sure as heck don't have $12 million period, much less to bequest to just one person, animal, or charity, but if I did have that kind of mula? I certainly would leave it to them!

However, unless my grandkids and great-grandkids (if I was so blessed to have any) did something just completely heinous, there is no way I would leave them out. That is kind of weird and bad.

[MiaCamille]

There are just too many people in need to do that, i would go to hospitals and find out what machines they need and buy them for them, i would give it away to charity..

[twinzplus3]

She left millions to charity. And to her, this pet was her child. Would I do it? Nope--but she was lonely and wratchedy (sp?) so I totally see why she did it.

[MissyChrissy]

I don't understand leaving out the grandchildren. But barring that, I think if someone wants to leave millions to their pet, then whatever floats your boat.

[siageah]

Now, how many people here want their dog to marry her dog? C'mon.....

You know you would.

[twinzplus3]

ROFL!!!! That is toooooooo funny siageah! I'm sure the grandchildren offended her in some very personal way. . .she gave 2 of them money and 2 of them squat. I wonder if they think offending her was worth it! And yep. . .my dog can totally marry a pooch with a $12 million dowry.

[mcmama]

A lot of super wealthy people deliberately do not pass their wealth on to the next generation. I think she gave two grandchildren a reasonable bequest, and as for the other two, well, it's a will, and it's personal. She left nothing for the great grandchildren - guess she figures her grandchildren are responsible for making the wealth to leave to them. Now that's gotta hurt, but I don't think that leaving more money for the care of the dog is really so insulting. The dog will not lose the money.

My aunt was not wealthy, but she used to say that she hoped her last check bounced. After settling up with the nursing home, it almost did! No one should count on an inheritance.

Even what Mrs Helmsley left her grandchildren is not without conditions. They have to visit their father's grave at least once a year. So this is a way of buying family participation in his ongoing memorial. She loved her son and was heartbroken when he died. The two who inherited get 5 million each outright, and 5 million in trust. Not a bad haul, but not the billions she had.

She left 10 million to her brother, and he will take the dog. Whoever looks after the dog has an incentive to keep the dog alive, well, and happy. And really, I am sure the dog is heartbroken. It also has a reputation for being cranky, a fussy eater, and biting people. So the money is to pay for the dog to continue to have someone prepare custom meals for it and for dog walkers.

Like Warren Buffet, most of her money has been left to charity, not to family. Some of these benefit those displaced by hurricane katrina. I am sure the non profit world is all a twitter with anticipation. Her estate is worth about 4 billion.

[PetScribe]

Siageah's comment =

I hadn't thought of that.

I DID however think that if I lived in that neck of the nation I'd apply to be a pet nanny to little Trouble. Steady paycheck!

[allybama]

If I had 12 million dollars to begin with, I'd totally use it to improve the economy through shopping. Leave it to a pet? Are you kidding? Whatever was left after I went on a crazy spending spree would be divided amongst my children and the Canadian Cancer Society.

[QueenAngie]

That's a lot of money for a pet. I do not know the dog's age, but dogs do not live the length of time....like a parrot might. I had heard they can live 50 years or more.

What do you think will happen to the money once the dog passes on?