Robin Williams
Robin Williams was one of the most famous comedians and voices out there, but despite him being the voice of the Genie in Disney’s Aladdin, he received only a fraction of the money the movie earned. Williams made sure that Disney didn’t undervalue his talents again.
When he found out that Disney was thinking about using outtakes from his performance in an original animated feature, he wrote a stipulation into his will that they wouldn’t be allowed to use the material until a quarter of a century after his passing. Since his death came in 2014, that means it won’t be used until at least 2039.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Though he wrote about a life of luxury when he wrote his famous novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald wasn't able to enjoy the finer things in life during his later years. He hardly had a cent to his name when he died in 1940.
It was for this reason that he adjusted his will to change his funeral arrangements from “in keeping with my station in life” to “the cheapest.” How could one of America's most famous writers have fallen on such hard times? Well, he only made about eight thousand dollars on The Great Gatsby. He was so short of money that he sometimes worked as a roof repairer.
Maurice Laboz
New York real estate mogul loved his daughters, and so he left each of them about twenty million dollars in his will...but that money came with some strings. They had to live up to his standards, with tasks including getting a degree from a recognized university and getting married to a man who had signed all rights to the inheritance away.
In short, they had to marry for love. If the daughters chose to work, they would receive triple what their tax statements show at the end of the year from the trust, and if they chose to spend their time as mothers, they would receive three percent of the trust each year, provided the children were born in wedlock.
Doris Duke
As the daughter of American Tobacco Company founder Buck Duke, Doris Duke was a famous heiress who was reportedly renowned because she never smiled whenever someone took her picture. However, she wasn't devoid of emotion – in fact, it turns out that she had plenty of heart. Her will helped to fund an eponymous charity that is now estimated to be worth over a billion dollars.
The foundation was established to improve the quality of people's lives through grants supporting the performing arts, environmental research, medical research, and more. She also left an immense amount of money – about a hundred million dollars, to her dogs, which is pretty standard by now.
Robert Kardashian
While this lawyer was initially renowned because he represented O.J. Simpson at his famous murder trial, this man's family name has shifted and changed to become the top of the line when it comes to reality TV and fame for fame's sake.
However, despite the fame and fortune everyone in the family has by now, Robert left nothing to his son Rob, his daughters Kourtney, Khloe, and Kim, or even their mother Kris a single penny. Instead, all of it went to his widow Ellen Pierson. The Kardashians disputed the will, but the court found it to be entirely correct and above board.