# Most expensive private revenge **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 14, 2018, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-private-revenge/821330 "2018-09-14T11:15:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-private-revenge/821330/41 "2018-09-20T16:23:29Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Stupid stuff other people do after you die is on them. That’s what makes it revenge. Its about being able to have a negative affect on people after you are dead. Its a dish served cold. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-private-revenge/821330/42 "2018-09-20T17:34:27Z")
> [@gkster](#): > > The Getty foundation is much larger, but it reminded me of Leona Helmsley’s will. I know it’s much smaller in scale than the question in the OP, but still worth a mention: 12 million to her dog Trouble, 5M each to her brother and 2 grandchildren, nothing to 2 other grandchildren, for “reasons that are known to them,” according to the will. > [Leona Helmsley Leaves $12M To Her Dog - CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/leona-helmsley-leaves-12m-to-her-dog/) As an addendum, later on, some of those numbers were litigated, and the dog ended up getting less ($2 milliion instead of $12 million), and the disinherited grandchildren got $3 mil each. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-private-revenge/821330/43 "2018-09-20T18:38:34Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > That’s what makes it revenge. Its about being able to have a negative affect on people after you are dead. Its a dish served cold. It’s not an _expensive_ revenge though, anything that occurs after your death can’t cost _you_ anything. What about the [Ford GT40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_GT40) racing car & racing program? That’s widely seen as Ford’s revenge against Ferrari who backed out of a buyout deal at the last minute. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-private-revenge/821330/44 "2018-09-20T18:49:07Z")
IIRC from “All The Money In The World” Getty put most of his investments in a foundation while he was alive, as a tax dodge. So there was not a lot (relatively speaking) for the relatives to inherit as cash in their pocket. The Ford Foundation IIRC is the same concept - at the time, any inheritance would be taxed to death and the shares in any major company would be split up - so simpler to put them in a foundation and have assorted relatives become well-paid board members. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-private-revenge/821330/45 "2018-09-25T05:33:48Z")
While it’s not exactly expensive, I’ll put it in for an honorable mention simply for the dedication and the time involved. [Hidden Message From Feuding Neighbors Revealed On Google Maps](https://www.providr.com/hidden-message-google-maps/) ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-private-revenge/821330/46 "2018-09-25T18:31:11Z")
> [@gkster](#): > > The Getty foundation is much larger, but it reminded me of Leona Helmsley’s will. I know it’s much smaller in scale than the question in the OP, but still worth a mention: 12 million to her dog Trouble, 5M each to her brother and 2 grandchildren, nothing to 2 other grandchildren, for “reasons that are known to them,” according to the will. > [Leona Helmsley Leaves $12M To Her Dog - CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/leona-helmsley-leaves-12m-to-her-dog/) The “Queen of Mean” wasn’t known for her kindness which is why this Far Side cartoon is so funny: [![](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1a/bb/05/1abb05118c82c08c9239655bd70eed9d.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1a/bb/05/1abb05118c82c08c9239655bd70eed9d.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-private-revenge/821330/47 "2018-09-25T20:44:25Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > While it’s not exactly expensive, I’ll put it in for an honorable mention simply for the dedication and the time involved. > > [Hidden Message From Feuding Neighbors Revealed On Google Maps](https://www.providr.com/hidden-message-google-maps/) Another one that won’t win the “most expensive” award, but for sheer pettiness it’s impressive: [Crocker’s Spite Fence](http://mentalfloss.com/article/94298/charles-crocker-man-who-built-40-foot-high-spite-fence-around-his-neighbors-house). Basically, rich asshole wants to buy another guy’s property on Nob Hill in San Francisco, but he won’t sell. So, rich asshole erects a _40 foot high fence_ around the guy’s property, completely eliminating the view and killing all of his vegetation due to lack of sunlight. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-private-revenge/821330/48 "2018-09-25T21:03:45Z")
> [@Nansbread1](#): > > Talking of revenges, which can be contrued to have been the most expensive? It has to be a private revenge ie non governmental, not one country blasting another country to smithereens. Not sure on the private side, Elon Musk might count for tweeting about taking Tesla private. A lot of short sellers amongst others were pissed at him [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-expensive-private-revenge/821330.md?page=2)