15 Mind-Blowing Cat Facts You Need To Know
8. The Richest Cat Was Worth £7 Million
Ben Rea was a British millionaire and antiques dealer, who shared his mansion with 15 cats. When he passed away in May 1988 though, he left £7 million (which now values at £12.5 million) to the last of those cats to survive - Blackie. This meant Blackie became the wealthiest cat in the world, mainly because cats (and animals as a whole, really) aren't exactly known for having to deal with finances.
What was surprising about Rea's death is that he didn't leave a dime to a single member of his family in his will, splitting the majority of his earnings between three cat charities near and dear to his heart so that they could look after his beloved Blackie. Ben also left minuscule amounts of money to his gardener, mechanic, and plumber, as well as a home to friend Ken Randolph. Blackie wasn't the only one who benefitted from Rea's passing.
While £7 million is what's written on the official database, it's entirely possible that Blackie is actually richer than we may think. Ben's sister Dorothy also passed away, just a few days before her brother did, and she too left her wealth of £2.8 million (now worth £5 million) to animal charities.
Blackie could have been sitting on a total of £9.8 million, which now is worth £17.5 million. That's a lot of cat treats.