Rich Old Man Leaves over $5M Estate after His Death — Its Sole Heir Is Not among His Five Children

A rich man was determined to give away his estate only to the most deserving family member, and when the will was declared, the heir was not among his five sons.

A wealthy older man was hell-bent on giving away his fortune only to those children of his who came together to celebrate his life. But as a twist of fate, he was compelled to hand over everything to a single heir who wasn’t among his five sons.

Redditor VladVlad666 took his story to Reddit’s “family drama” sub, and he was quick in proving how love consistently outperforms the greed for material wealth and money.

Unlike his dad and four uncles, the Original Poster (OP) preferred a rural life with his grandparents. Meanwhile, his grandpa’s five sons, the eldest being his dad, went into trade and had little to no time for their parents.

After his wife’s passing, the grandpa sold his house and other assets to settle in the acreage he’d bought in the mountains. His sons only visited him once a year and were too busy to spend time with him or find out what he was doing.

Growing up, OP followed in his dad’s footsteps, and although he worked for his business, something about his grandpa’s agrarian lifestyle attracted him.

Eventually, he bought the land surrounding his grandpa’s acreage where the old man's small cabin stood. His grandpa was impressed when he helped him upgrade the cabin by installing a ground-mounted solar system and fixing his roof using insulated metal. OP never disclosed the material costs, considering his grandpa’s had been living on his pension and social security.

The family was pleased until they discovered the undisclosed $5M the grandpa had left behind for his heir.

While everything seemed perfect, OP developed a heart condition that forced him to retire early and move into the cabin for a calm, relaxed life with his grandpa. None of his cousins ever showed interest in them, and this is where the real problem sparked.

OP’s grandpa died a few months later, and his passing somehow compelled his family to show up at his funeral. Amidst the grieving, one of his uncles curiously asked about the late man's “bag of gold coins.” OP had no idea what he was talking about.

Eventually, the lawyer contacted the family and told them about the settlement and a letter the grandpa wished to be read after his passing.

According to the letter, he wanted to determine if his family would unite to celebrate his life or just possess his riches. In the end, he’d decided none of his five sons would get a dime from his money because he had someone else in mind.

OP ended up inheriting the land, cabin, and a few other assets since he was the only one who stayed by his grandpa when nobody else showed up. He was shocked but reassured his dad and uncles that he would hand over his grandfather's gold coins if he found them.

The family was pleased until they discovered the undisclosed $5M the grandpa had left behind for his heir. As a bonus, he also willed out over a hundred acres of land to OP.

The grandson was overwhelmed and eventually found the bag of gold coins on his grandpa’s desk. He gave it to his dad and uncles to split, but they accused him of stealing some coins, much to his horror. Moreover, his uncles demanded he sell the land to make up for the missing coins.

Unable to comprehend the mess he was in, OP asked the internet if he was obliged to share his inheritance with his family.

“They ARE suggesting that you stole the coins. You’re going to need to lawyer up soon because this kind of dispute can get really ugly,” Redditor NomadicusRex advised.

Redditor Amyx23 agreed and said, “You will need the lawyer up. Technically, you inherited the coins,” adding:

“They are alleging you stole your own property that they now got as a gift from you. Tell them, grandpa may have sold some to live off of, considering he’s an old poor man in a cabin.”

OP claimed his grandfather had already legally decided to make him the heir to his fortune after he realized that none of his sons and only OP accompanied him until his last days without craving his wealth.

“Those who fought for material wealth would receive nothing, and he wanted all items liquidated and the cash value placed into the account he’d set up to buy additional property here in the mountains...My uncles are out, and I feel vindicated,” he revealed.

Questions to Ponder:

Would you give away your fortune to your children who never cared about you as their parent?

OP's grandfather was determined to pass on his inheritance only to the child who stood with him in all his ups and downs. He didn’t see that quality in any of his sons but was impressed with his grandson’s way of thinking and affinity to his lifestyle. In the end, he declared that only OP would inherit his $5M fortune because of this reason. Would you do the same if you were OP's grandfather? How would you determine your legal heir if you were the grandpa in this story?

Why is it important to invest money in savings for a better future?

OP’s grandpa had lived over 20 years on pension and social security while spending significantly less and investing the rest in high-growth investments. Over time, the money swelled up to the $5M OP inherited, though he had no clue about this until the will was declared. Do you think those preparing their will should also consider setting up savings and investments for their beneficiaries?

If you liked this story, here’s a similar story about a wealthy widower who was hell-bent on not leaving a dime of his $5M fortune to his children.

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