A deceased Manhattan millionaire has left $100,000 as well as detailed instructions to care for her 32 cockatiels. The will of Leslie Ann Mandel lovingly lists each of the 32 birds and names her stepson Matthew Herzog as trustee of the fund. The deceased entrepreneur who pioneered the direct mailing “Rich List Company” was married to famous science fiction writer Arthur Herzog, who was known for writing “The Swarm.” The Rich List Company was a fundraising firm that at one point possessed the largest private mailing list in the country. There has been tremendous growth in the use of pet trusts over the past few decades as state governments have changed their laws.
See Julia Marsh, ‘Cuckoo’ millionaire leaves $100K nest egg to her 32 cockatiels, The New York Post, September 5, 2015.