Let’s say that I am a uber-billionaire reclusive, but not crazy, Howard Hughes type. I have just died, and despite several million dollars poured into researching the subject, it turns out that you really cannot take it with you.
So this is the situation:
So what happens to all of my cool stuff when I die?
If you have that much money, someone, somewhere will prove they were a distant relative and split the money with the lawyers. Now that I think of it, I may be related to you [just getting a claim in ;)]
Otherwise the state gets all that’s left after taxes.
Well, Muad’Dib, If you aren’t careful, the Bene Gesserit Witches’ll get it. (soory about that, been reading ‘Heretics’ for teh last couple of days)
To the OP… people CLAIMING to be relatives will come out of the woodwork (I think this actually happened with Hughes) You have parents, right? Did they have siblings? THEY’D be in line to get some of your stuff. There could be relatives you don’t know about (2nd, 3rd cousins) drooling after it. You have millions, don’t worry, there will be LOTS of people trying to get it.
No family, they all died long ago. And, for the sake of argument, no crazies coming out of the woodwork.
Depends upon where you die. But if you die in one of the 50 U.S. states, you’ve made one state really happy.
If you die intestate (without a will) and with no living relative, no matter how distant, your property will escheat to the county. At least that was the law in Illinois. I haven’t looked up the SC law, but it’d either be the county or the state.
Although I’m sure it happens… usually uber-billionaires… no matter how reclusive they are… have “people” handling their financial affairs. Howard Hughes had advisors. And one of the first things that comes up… after the discussion of the commissions of course… would be what provisions have been made for an orderly transition should you depart from this world. It’s your money, of course, but others will be moving it around, setting up illegal off-shore operations, avoiding paying taxes etc. so it’s not like it’s stuffed in your mattress.
So most likely you would have put at least some thought into how you want your assets distributed after you kick the bucket. Letting some distant relatives or even worse the State decide how to deal with your money seems like a silly thing to do for someone who’s smart enough to have amassed a fortune in the first place… but stranger things have happened I suppose!
If I were you, D-boy, I would be prudent and will it all to me as I would disperse it fairly.
As in fairly quickly get me a new house and car 
Assuming your really distant relatives (that’s all of us) can’t prove that status, in most states, it “escheats” to the state. This happens frequently with small estates. With a large estate, (tens of thousands of dollars), there are law firms that specialize in reading obituaries, finding the closest relatives, and offering to get them their fair share for a “fee”. I’m a lawyer (but I don’t practice estate law). I’ve run into these heir finding firms from time to time. In fact, my dad was contacted by one about a relative he had no idea he had. Got a few bucks too. Didn’t pay the fee. Oh, and my mom had done a geneology of my dad’s family (quite thorough) and only knew which guy had died (the heir firm doesn’t tell you till you sign for the fee) because she had accounted for everyone else.
As for, suppose no one can find any relatives, not possible. The above example was a fourth cousin. You are probably no more than a seventh cousin. Hi cuz’!
Yeah, but every state has established a familial order of succession for inheritence, and the biggest I ever saw (don’t remember which state) stopped at fourth cousin four times removed. Even if you can prove a more distant relationship, you are, in the eyes of the state, unrelated, and you get bupkiss.