The Millionaire Who Turned His Will Into a Baby-Making Contest

Disclaimer: This post is for general educational purposes and isn’t legal or financial advice. Estate laws vary by state and country, so talk to a qualified attorney about your specific situation.

The Millionaire Who Turned His Will Into a Baby-Making Contest

When Toronto lawyer Charles Vance Millar died in 1926, he left behind no spouse, no children, and a fortune. What he did leave behind was one of the strangest wills ever written — and a lesson in estate planning that still holds up a century later.

Millar was a prankster to the end. His will gave shares in a Catholic-run brewery to a group of fiercely anti-alcohol Protestant ministers. It handed stock in a jockey club to men who had publicly campaigned against gambling. But the clause that made headlines around the world was this one: the bulk of his estate would go to the woman in Toronto who gave birth to the most children in the ten years after his death.

The press dubbed it “The Great Stork Derby.” For a decade, families competed. Lawyers fought. The will was challenged in court repeatedly — and upheld every time.

When the dust settled in 1936, four women had each delivered nine children during the contest period and split roughly $500,000 — a staggering sum during the Great Depression, and the equivalent of about $11.7 million today. That worked out to around $125,000 per winner, or roughly $2.9 million each in today’s dollars.

It sounds absurd. But here’s the part that matters: Millar’s bizarre wishes were carried out, almost to the letter, because he wrote them down in a legally valid document. Love it or hate it, his will worked.

Most people don’t want to start a baby-making derby. But almost everyone wants their wishes honored, their family protected, and their assets passed on without a courtroom brawl. That’s where wills and trusts come in.

What’s a will?

A will is a legal document that states who gets your assets when you die, who should care for your minor children, and who you want to carry out those instructions (the “executor”). If you die without one, the government uses a default formula to distribute your estate — and that formula rarely matches what you would have chosen.

The catch: most wills go through probate, the court-supervised process of validating the document and distributing assets. Probate can be slow, public, and expensive, depending on where you live.

What’s a trust?

A trust is a legal arrangement where you (the “grantor”) place assets under the management of a trustee for the benefit of someone (a “beneficiary”). You can be the trustee while you’re alive, then name a successor to take over when you pass or become incapacitated.

The big draw of a revocable living trust is that assets held in it generally skip probate entirely. They pass directly to your beneficiaries — privately, often quickly, and without court involvement.

Why bother with either?

A few of the most common benefits:

• Control. You decide who gets what, when, and under what conditions — instead of leaving it to a default legal formula.

• Protecting your family. A will lets you name guardians for minor children. A trust can release

money over time rather than handing a 19-year-old a lump sum.

• Avoiding probate. Trusts can spare your heirs a slow, public court process.

• Privacy. Wills typically become public record. Trusts usually stay private.

• Planning for incapacity. A trust can keep your affairs running smoothly if you’re alive but unable to manage them yourself.

• Peace of mind. Arguably the most underrated benefit. Your loved ones won’t be left guessing — or fighting — during the worst week of their lives.

Many people use both: a trust to hold major assets and avoid probate, plus a “pour-over” will to catch anything left out and name guardians.

The takeaway

Charles Millar’s will is remembered because it was outrageous. But the real lesson is quieter: he put his wishes in writing, and the law honored them — strange as they were.

You don’t need a fortune or a sense of mischief to do the same. You just need a plan. Whether your goal is protecting your family, preserving your assets, avoiding probate, or ensuring your wishes are carried out exactly as intended, having the proper estate planning documents in place can make all the difference.

Whatever your wishes are, the worst version is the one no one ever wrote down.

If you are ready to create or update your estate plan, contact The Alford Law Firm in Dallas.

Our experienced estate planning attorneys can help you develop a personalized strategy using wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and other essential planning tools designed to protect your legacy and provide peace of mind for those you love most.