When fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld passed away in 2019, he famously left his cherished cat, Choupette, a fortune. In 2024, the Burmese beauty marked her 13th birthday with a grand picnic on the grounds of Versailles, a reminder that pets can sometimes inherit lifestyles as extravagant as their owners.
She’s not alone: in 2007, real estate mogul Leona Helmsley, dubbed the “Queen of Mean,” stunned the public by leaving US$12 million to her Maltese, Trouble, while cutting two grandchildren from her will. And what was once the domain of eccentric elites is now trickling into everyday life. Legal experts say more people are writing wills that include their pets, with one in eight clients seeking to secure their animals’ futures.
Can pets truly inherit, and what does it mean for the rest of us? Click through the gallery to explore the legal twists, practical realities, and surprising stories behind this growing trend.