These pets inherited millions: from Gunther to Karl Lagerfeld's Choupette

If you've seen 'Gunther's Millions' on Netflix, you know about the bizarre tale of a German Shepard named Gunther who inherited $400 million from a Countess named Karlotta Leiberstein from Germany.

However, if you've seen the show, you know that very little about that story is true (no more spoilers!). 'Gunther's Millions' got us thinking about rich animals in general.

Do people really leave money to their pets? If so, how much wealth do they hold? Click on to read about the wealthiest animals in the world!

Gigoo is a British hen who inherited $15 million after her owner Miles Blackwell died. Blackwell was a publishing mogul who, according to The Independent, died three weeks after his wife at age 56.

According to Time, the pair never had children and had recently sold their business to raise sheep and the rare Scots Dumpy hens.

Upon their demise, they left not only $15 million to Gigoo but also $42.5 million to a charitable trust set up to benefit the arts, music, and animal welfare causes.

In 2011, Tommaso, a four-year-old cat living in Rome, became (at the time anyways) the world's wealthiest cat. Tommaso's 94-year-old owner left everything to the cat upon her passing.

According to The Guardian, Tommaso inherited several properties valued at €10 million. However, according to Italian law, a pet or any animal cannot inherit directly. But if a trust is set up, an animal can be the beneficiary.

Tommaso's owner did just that, leaving Stefania, a fellow cat lover she met in the park, in charge of her beloved cat and her fortune upon her passing.

Cat owners seem to really, really value their cats! According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Blackie, a cat in the UK, inherited a fortune from his owners.

Ben Rea, a millionaire antique dealer and recluse, shared his mansion with Blackie. Upon Rea's passing, he left his $12.5 million fortune to his beloved cat Blackie and totally left his family out of his will.

When fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld died of pancreatic cancer in February 2019, rumours swirled that his beloved cat Choupette had inherited a significant part of Lagerfeld's fortune.

According to W Magazine, Lagerfeld's fortune was estimated to be between $195 and $300 million and the rumor of the cat's inheritance was never confirmed.

However, in 2022, on the official Choupette Instagram account, the eleven-year-old cat was seen celebrating its birthday on a private jet in total luxury.

Photo: @choupetteofficiel / Instagram

Lagerfeld and Choupette fans were left with little doubt that Choupette was certainly well taken care of by his former owner.

Photo: @choupetteofficiel / Instagram

The cats are well taken care of by their wealthy owners, but there is no shortage of dogs who have inherited millions, either. Take Conchita, for example, known, according to New York Magazine, as "one of the world's most spoiled dogs."

According to The Wall Street Journal, when Conchita's owner Gail Posner died in 2010, Conchita and her two dog siblings inherited a $3 million trust fund along with "the right to live in her seven-bedroom, $8.3 million Miami Beach mansion."

Unfortunately, Conchita's human brother Brett Carr was less than impressed by his mother's dogs inheriting more than he did - just $1 million.

Carr filed a lawsuit against his mother's staff and advisers several months after her death. Carr claimed that his late mother's staff had drugged her and "coerced her into favouring the dog so that they could benefit," according to the WSJ.

Trouble, a cherished Maltese, was left $12 million in a trust fund by her deceased real estate mogul Leona Helmsley in 2007.

However, the will purposely disinherited Helmsley's grandchildren, and after they contested the will, a judge cut the dog's inheritance down to just $2 million, per The Wall Street Journal.

According to Business Insider, Trouble then went to live at the Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel in Florida with a caretaker who was paid $100,000 annually to ensure the dog was well cared for.

In addition, the news outlet reported that an astonishing $98,000 was spent on Trouble's security, as the little Maltese apparently received many death threats.

Lulu was just an unassuming eight-year-old border collie that became famous when she inherited her owner's millions. According to News Channel 5, Lulu's owner Bill Dorris, left his dog $5 million in 2020.

Martha Burton, an 88-year-old woman, was put in charge of Lulu's care and fortune. Mr Dorris often entrusted the care of his beloved pet with Burton when he was travelling.

When asked what she thought about the dog inheriting millions of dollars, Martha Burton told News Channel 4, "I don't really know what to think about it to tell you the truth. He just really loved the dog."