The list of wealthiest animals in the world include animals that have inherited or earned over 1 million U.S. dollars.
Through inheritance
Non-human animals are not legal persons and cannot directly own property. Pets typically "inherit" money through a pet trust through which the money must be used for their care after the death of the owner.[1]
Name
Estimated worth in US$ millions (estimated)
Description
Tardar Sauce
99 (2018)
Better known as Grumpy Cat, Tardar Sauce had an estimated worth of at least $99 million.[2]
A black cat who lives in Italy and inherited $13 million. The cat was a stray that found its way into the home of Maria Assunta, a property magnate in Italy. When Assunta died at the age of 94, she willed her fortune to either the cat or an animal welfare charity that would look after it. It was decided after no suitable charity could be found that the money would be given to the cat, held in trust by Assunta's nurse.[5]
Blackie
12.5 (2018)
Considered the richest cat by Guinness World Records until 2018, inherited a $12.5 million fortune.[6]
Conchita
11.3 (2010)
A Chihuahua, was bequeathed $3 million plus an $8.3 million mansion in Miami by heiress Gail Posner.[7]
Lulu
5 (2021)
An 8-year-old Border Collie, inherited $5 million in her owner's will.[8]
In March 2015, Lagerfeld said, in an interview with The Cut, that Choupette had earned €3 million ($3.18 million USD) during 2014 from participating in two projects: one for cars in Germany, and the other for a Shu Uemura's "Shupette" beauty product in Japan.
Trouble
2 (2010)
A dog that was owned by Leona Helmsley, to which she bequeathed $12 million in a will that disinherited her two grandchildren. A judge later amended the amount down to $2 million.[9]
Flossie
1.3 (2002)
A dog owned by Drew Barrymore, barked to alert her and then-husband Tom Green of a fire. She put her $1.3 million house in trust for the dog to show her gratitude.[10][unreliable source?]
Reportedly, Toby Rimes, a poodle, inherited $20 million from New Yorker Ella Wendel in 1931.[11][12] In fact, it seems that no such bequest was made.[13]
In 2021, the Associated Press and several other news organizations reported that a German Shepherd dog named Gunther VI inherited $400 million dollars from Countess Karlotta Leibenstein of Germany. The day after the Associated Press article, the New York Post published an article disputing the validity of the claim.[14] The Associated Press later removed the article from its website and published a new article admitting the story was a fabrication.[15] The story of Gunther was featured in the 2023 Netflix documentary series Gunther's Millions.[16]
