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Lap of luxury
will bark for trust fund a
A Countess’ Best PAL In the hierarchy of canine heirs and heiresses, German shepherd Gunther Liebenstein III is considered the king, having inherited a reported $80 million upon the passing of German Countess Carlotta Liebenstein in 1991. Thanks to savvy investments (by human advisers), his only son, Gunther IV, inherited a $372 million estate when Gunther III died a few years later. no kibble for them Buckshot, Katie and Obu-Jet—a beagle and two Lab mixes owned by Maryland resident Ken Kemper—are eating their inheritance, literally. Caretaker Roy Grady once noted that the dogs, who scored 800,000 bones after Kemper died in 2006, dine on spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread every Friday night. tony transport Forget the short leash. Conchita, the Chihuahua of Miami heiress Gail Posner, and her “sisters” (a Maltese and a Yorkie) are chauffeured around town in Conchita’s very own gold Cadillac Escalade. When Posner passed away in 2010, Conchita and her four-legged siblings inherited her Miami mansion and $3 million cash—$2 million more than Posner’s (human) son, Bret Carr. golden eggs Publishing tycoon Miles Blackwell was utterly devoted to his hen, Gigoo, who scored £10 million after Blackwell’s demise. The money left for Gigoo was tucked away in the Tubney Charitable Trust, a philanthropic organization dedicated to, among other causes, farm-animal welfare. (The Trust closed its doors in 2012.) well -dressed trio Before his suicide in 2010, fashion icon Alexander McQueen made sure his three bull terriers, Minter, Juice and Callum, would continue to have pampered paws with an $82,000 gift and a plea in his suicide note to family and friends to “look after” the pups. beats the doghouse Although there weren’t any pups aboard the Starship Voyager, the wife of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry was certainly an animal lover. When Majel Roddenberry succumbed to leukemia in 2008, she left their dogs a $4 million residential trust, plus $1 million and residential rights for their caretaker.—MEGAN JOHNSON
the 1%
DiLemMA DUJOUR REGULAR benefits
no jerks allowed
I always get special perks at restaurants—except when I have a waitress I’ve never met. How can I let the new girl know who I am without seeming demanding?
My ex-wife and I co-own a business, but her new husband is a total embarrassment. How do I ask her to stop bringing him along to networking outings?
The first step is to recognize that you are demanding. And cheap, too, since I’m guessing by “special perks” you mean a free glass of blanc de blancs or, what, a bonus course of Peekytoe crab cakes? But if you insist, try this: “Last time I was here, Eli sent me something ah-mazing from the kitchen. I adore being his guinea pig—and I’d love it again. Unless it was guinea pig. Might you tiptoe back to the kitchen and ask?” Or, “When you have a moment, please do let Mario know I’m here. I wanted to show him this adorbs photo of us in New York Social Diary.” And, of course, the best way to ensure the best treatment is to pony up on the tip: 50 percent is the new 20, you know.
I had similarly masochistic friends. They ran a winery, which I’m guessing is how they managed to stand being around each other even after their marriage went the way of Lehman Brothers. But if you can’t rely on getting everyone else drunk enough to disregard the buffoon in the room, let the Ex-Mrs. know—politely, of course—that invitations come with a plus-one, not a plus-one-jerk. Is she aware, for example, that Muffy McButters is going around saying that Husband #2 got handsy during last month’s Howard Lorber Cipriani lunch? You’re sure it’s an exaggeration, but you know how Muffy is and, well, now everyone knows. Best the fellow lay low for a while. C’est bon?
Maplemint Enterprises president Alison Minton set up a hefty trust for her two parrots, begging the question: How many crackers can Polly get for $50,000?
Slim Aarons/Getty images
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s monetary settlements called “pet trusts” grow in popularity, animal companions of the wealthy can continue living large even after their owners are long gone. “People develop a really strong bond with the animals they share their lives with,” says Worcester, Massachusetts, attorney Tracy Craig, who sets up 8 to 10 pet trusts a year and has a $75,000 trust for her two golden retrievers. “They’re viewing their pet animals as family members.” Here, a round up of furry friends who scored sizable nest eggs.