Weird World: Millionaire mutt dies

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A pampered pooch whose eccentric owner bequeathed her $12m has died aged 12, ending one of the weirdest cases of contested inheritance ever.

When US hotel magnate Leona Helmsley died in 2007, she left £12m (£7.3m) to her Maltese dog Trouble. Unsurprisingly, Helmsley's four grandchildren were more than a little miffed by the snub. Two of her grandchildren were cut out of the will for no known reason, and two others were promised $5m each but only if they promised to visit their father's grave every year. The majority of Helmsley's fortune, a cool $8bn, went to charity. The family contested the will and a New York judge ruled Helmsley had been mentally unstable when she made her will. Even so, Trouble, who was notor...

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