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Wellington R. Burt seems like a real dickhead

Burt had an unusual will, "as bizarre but as finely-wro...
Consuela
  07/04/26


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Date: July 4th, 2026 2:33 PM
Author: Consuela

Burt had an unusual will, "as bizarre but as finely-wrought as any in U.S. court annals".[5] It contained a "spite clause" conceived by Burt to avenge a family feud.[5] It specified to wait 21 years after his children and grandchildren were dead before the bulk of the fortune could go to any descendants, in effect alienating his children and grandchildren from the estate, beyond some small annuities. The conditions of the will were met in 2010 after the 1989 death of his last grandchild. In May 2011, twelve of Burt's descendants finally received the estate, worth about $100 million.[6]

One well-known story recounts how Burt ordered some horses at the lumber mill to be starved and worked to death, "Mr. Callam, the horses are too fat", Burt reportedly said. "Trim them down, sir, and when the logs are out, dispose of them."[6] Mr. Callam refused to starve and kill the horses, so Burt fired him and found someone who would carry it out.[6]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellington_R._Burt



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