06/25/2026
When a reclusive British millionaire died in 1988, he cut his entire family out of the will and left his fortune - around 7 million pounds - to his cat.
Ben Rea was an antiques dealer who shared his crumbling mansion with fifteen cats and trusted almost no people. When he died, the money went to the cat charities given the job of caring for Blackie, his last surviving cat.
Guinness World Records still lists Blackie as the wealthiest cat who has ever lived. Decades later, no cat has come close to taking the title.
