From disowning a child to secretly leaving everything to a complete stranger, wills often reveal unexpected twists that shock family members after a person’s passing. In some cases, people even use their last wishes as a final act of revenge.

Reddit users shared some of the most surprising and bizarre things people have written in their wills—many of which their families never saw coming.

1. The Unexpected Trust Fund

u/scarlett_pimpernel: As a qualified solicitor, I once had a client who wanted to create a £100,000 trust fund—for her pet fish.

When I asked if it was a rare or special breed, she clarified that it was just an ordinary goldfish.

Her instructions were specific: the fish was to be fed fresh avocado daily and cared for by a local dog walker after her passing. She was completely serious.

2. A Secret No One Knew

u/scarlett_pimpernel: Another woman revealed a secret she had kept from her entire family—she had a hidden daughter.

She wanted to leave this daughter money and photographs but insisted that no one in her family—not even her husband—find out.

That will surely lead to an interesting conversation after she passes away.

3. The Lucky Bus Driver

u/mommy5dearest: I worked at an attorney’s office where an elderly woman left her house and belongings to…her bus driver.

She did it simply because he was kind to her and always helped her out.

We were all expecting chaos when her family found out, but legally, they could only contest it under certain conditions. Since I witnessed the signing, I could confirm she was mentally sound when she made the decision.

4. A Will With a Sense of Humor

u/WanderCold: I was in my early twenties when I was required to write a will due to my job’s health insurance policy.

After discussing with the in-house lawyer, I added a specific clause:

“My funeral wishes are that I should be buried in a coffin that has been spring-loaded, so that if future archaeologists open it, they will be alarmed.”

I also included a section stating that if this was too expensive, I should simply be cremated and have my ashes scattered in a chosen location.

5. A Horse’s Fate

u/gabberrella24: I work in probate law, and one of the strangest wills I’ve encountered demanded that a horse be euthanized, cremated, and its ashes scattered alongside the deceased.

Luckily for the horse, the owner mistakenly named a horse that had already died. The horse she owned at the time of her death got to live happily on another farm.

6. Strange Will Requests

u/PirateRobotNinjaofDe: People love to send their loved ones on bizarre tasks after their passing.

Some leave money for their friends and family to travel and scatter their ashes in different places.

Others create huge trust funds for their pets, ensuring their animals are well taken care of.

My personal favorite? A lawyer left his entire fortune (equivalent to millions today) to the Toronto woman who had the most children at a specific date. The winner had 10 kids.

7. A Grandfather’s Business Tactic

u/snoboreddotcom: A few hours after my grandfather’s passing, my grandmother handed me a ridiculous navy-blue tie covered in pink elephants.

She explained:

“Your grandfather wore this to intimidate people in business. Anyone bold enough to wear such a ridiculous tie clearly doesn’t care what others think. That scares people. He wanted you to have it.”

8. Unusual Conditions for Inheritance

u/ALighterShadeOfPale: I’ve seen some strange conditions attached to wills.

One mother stated that her first son would only receive his inheritance if he went to a dentist.

The second son was required to lose 70 pounds before he could claim his share.

Another woman insisted that her cats be cremated with her, but when told human and animal remains couldn’t be cremated together, she settled for their ashes being mixed and buried together.

9. A 56-Page Will

u/ALighterShadeOfPale: While most wills are about 10 pages long, one woman went to extreme detail—writing a 56-page document.