The Vindictive Millionaire

Wellington R. Burt

Wellington R. Burt, a wealthy Michigan magnate, died in 1919.
Making his fortune in lumber and iron mines, he was one of the richest men in America, but wrangled with his children and with the exception of his oldest son, basically cut his immediate family and grandchildren from his will. 

He left his first born $30,000 a year but his other five children only received $1,000 to $5,000, about the same amount he left to his servants and secretaries.

The man was angry, vengeful, and punished those closest to him for almost a hundred years.  You see Burt craftily set up his estate with an unusual stipulation:  The bulk of his fortune would remain frozen until 21 years after the death of the last grandchild born during his lifetime. 

That grandchild, a woman, died in 1989, and the estate, now valued at over a $100 million, will finally be opened at the end of this month—92 years after the old man’s death. 

In the meantime, the robber baron’s six children, seven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and 11 great-great grandchildren all missed the inheritance because they died before the estate was set to take effect.

All because of a family fight.

Must’ve been quite a shouting match though nobody for the life of them remembers what it was about.  

 But you can’t say his relatives stopped trying to break it.  The trust has been broken twice with $700,000 payouts for each, and every generation has made it a tradition to fight it again.

Today twelve people, ages ranging from 19 to ninety-four, will finally split the goods.

At nineteen Christina Cameron, is the youngest and will receive one of the smallest settlements of 2.6  to 2.9 million.  She said the fortune’s taken its toll on their family.  Her mother and grandfather died in the last two years before they were able to make a claim for their share.  “I think all of this is happening…made this seem like a curse.  ...I’d rather not rely on it…  I’d rather just save it…  It’s just not as big of a deal to me as it was to most of my family.”

Judge Patrick McGraw

Judge Patrick McGraw says it's been lore around the courthouse for years, and it's the largest case of its kind he's ever handled.
        

Well it got me to thinking.

I'm sure glad I wasn't that last granddaughter.  Imagine.  The moment the will was read, the family began waiting for her to die.  And then those interminable 21 years…

You want to believe that the rest of the relatives accepted their fate, gathering the reins, and galloping into the world.  But I bet more than a few of those lovelies faltered, cursing the day they were born, and doing nothing while damning their lot in life.

What a waste.  What a shame.  And that’s worse than losing the many bucks of Wellington Burt.