Only the most prosperous pets make the 2009 Pet Rich List from Petplan
Dining out on rare white truffles, buying Madonna’s mansion and starring in a world famous TV series sounds like the type of thing that only happens to the Hollywood A-list. But for the richest pets on the planet, it’s all in a day’s work.
Today, Petplan, the UK’s largest pet insurance provider, launches the definitive 2009 Pet Rich List and unveils the top 50 entrants on the National Petrait Gallery* www.petraitgallery.co.uk in a specially designed VIP area.
The recession-proof pets include a property mogul Alsatian who only eats steak and caviar, a Chimpanzee with a bank balance to rival Alan Sugar and a once homeless cat that certainly got the cream.
In a bid to secure a comfortable life for their beloved pet, many of the animals on the list inherited their fortune after their owner passed away. However, a select few are self made millionaires, including long-time canine actor Moose who played Eddie in the TV series Fraiser. The talented mutt rakes in £6,000 per episode and doesn’t even have to learn any lines.
Dogs and cats are the most successful pets in the inheritance stakes, but reptiles and more exotic animals also feature on Petplan’s Rich List.
Alison Andrew, Petplan’s Marketing Top Dog says: “We know that pets play a very special role in their owner’s lives and the 2009 Pet Rich List highlights the lengths that some owners go to provide for their furry friends. We even have self-made millionaires among the most wealthy and well cared for animals on our list. Regardless of wealth, Petplan is committed to making sure that every owner can keep their pet healthy and happy, without breaking the bank.”
To find out more about the affluent pets and read their tales of the Rich and Furry, visit the VIP area on the National Petrait Galley website (www.petraitgallery.co.uk). The photo gallery website also includes top tips on how everyone can make their pet feel like a millionaire, without breaking the bank.
Petplan’s Pet Rich List
1. Gunther IV the dog – £224.6million
Record breaking Gunther IV tops Petplan’s list with an estimated fortune of over £224million. Affluent Alsatian Gunther IV’s bank balance was left to him by his father Gunther III in 2000, a lucky dog having himself inherited his fortune from his infamous owner, Countess Karlotta Libenstein. Property tycoon Gunther IV is the proud owner of several residences, not least Madonna’s mansion in Miami and a villa in the Bahamas and has his own butler. Gunther IV dines daily on caviar and steak and was also the winning bidder for a rare white truffle in 2001, snapping it up for a mere £1,050.
2. Kalu the chimpanzee – £53million
Kalu inherited Patricia O’Neill’s fortune after she separated from her husband, famous swimmer Frank O’Neill. Kalu now resides in his Cape Town estate in Africa.
3. Toby Rimes the dog – £30 million
Ella Wendel originally left her pet poodle Toby £15million in 1931. Since then there have been a succession of pampered pooches, with the current heir being Toby Rimes.
4. Oprah Winfrey’s dogs – £30million
Oprah Winfrey is famous for her love of pets and her dogs are set to inherit £30million from their famous owner.
5. Keiko the Killer Whale – £22.6million
Keiko’s starring role in the Free Willy blockbuster trilogy left the lucky orca £22million better off. Keiko, meaning Lucky One in Japanese, was plucked from obscurity from a theme park in 1992 before becoming internationally famous.
6. Gigoo the Hen – £10million
Publishing mogul Miles Blackwell left his feathered friend £10million in 2000 following the death of his wife Briony the year before.
7. Blackie the cat – £9million
Blackie’s share of Ben Rea’s inheritance set this feline first in the aristocat line with £9million in the bank. Rea was a well known recluse and left his entire fortune to Blackie and various cat charities.
8. Trouble the dog – £7.2million
Trouble the Maltese Terrier lived up to his name when in 2007 he inherited £7million from his socialite owner, Leona Hemsley. Outrage that the inheritance had not gone to Hemsley’s relatives led to a judge cutting Trouble’s inheritance down by £5million. Trouble continues to live in doggy luxury in New York.
9. Flossie the dog – £3.6million
Actress Drew Barrymore was so grateful to her beloved Labrador Retriever for saving her life when her house was on fire that she has pledged her house to Flossie in her will.
10-12. Frankie the dog, Ani the cat and Pepe le Pew the cat - £3million each
An unnamed benefactor left her dog and two cats in the care of lucky neighbour Lenise Patrick with £9million. They live happily together in a £10million home in San Diego and receive an annual trust fund of £100,000. Lenise lives next door to make sure that they have everything they need.
13-14. Hellcat and Brownie the cats – £2million each
Dr William Grier originally left his favourite felines £415,000 each in his will; their descendents of the same name still hold the majority of the estate in San Diego.
15. Moose the dog – £1.8million
Better known as Eddie to his fans, Moose has been the canine star of TV show Fraiser for its ten series. As a self made millionaire, Moose netted around £6,000 per episode and tops his earnings up with lucrative endorsement deals.
16. Red the cat – £664K
Canadian millionaire David Harper left his cat Red $1.1million when he died. Red is now cared for by the United Church of Canada.
17-20. Snoopy, Linus, Dennis and LuLu the dogs – £500K each
Glamorous Australian socialite Rose Porteous left her four pooches their share of £2million when she died.
21. Zeus the cat – £400K
Beautiful Bengal cat Zeus is one of the world’s rarest breeds, being 90% Asian Leopard and 10% domestic cat, but this doesn’t mean he has the appetite of a wild cat. Zeus, resident of the UK, enjoys regular tinned cat food rather than hunting for himself.
22-23. Tina and Kate the dogs – £225K each
When Nora Hardwell died she made sure that pampered collie crosses Tine and Kate were provided for with a mouth watering £225K each as well as her home to live in for the rest of their days.
24-28. Hamish, Boon, Eileen, Coco and Tuffnel, cats – £217,328 each
Actress Beryl Reid obviously loved her cats, so much in fact that the eccentric star of TV shows such as Bergerac and Dr Who left her furry friends her home worth £1million.
29. Tinker the cat – £136K
Tinker the cat certainly needed his 9 lives; after surviving as a stray for his youth he found his way into the home and heart of Widow Margaret Layne who subsequently left him a trust fund that would set him up for life.
30. Nell the dog – £100K
Nell the fox terrier became his own hound when owner, the Mayor Win Frankland died in 2008. Nell is now cared for by former attendant Jayne Carmody who will look after the pooch for the rest of his lucky life.
31. Rodeo the dog – £100K
Heiress and philanthropist Doris Duke left her Shar-pei Rodeo £100K in 1993.
32. Silverstone the tortoise – £100K
Silverstone tops our list for the richest reptile in the world when flush Christina Foyle left her shelled friend £100K in 1999.
33. Fluffy the cat – £90K
Fluffy inherited his fortune in 1996 from Mary Burton who specified that his carers should make sure that “Fluffy should have a home in the sun and a diet of fresh pilchards, steamed cod, tail ends, no bones, best lean roast beef and vegetables.”
34. Ruby the elephant – £60K
Patty Shenker spent her life donating money towards the care of animals but it surprised everyone when she pledged £60K for Ruby’s retirement fund in Los Angeles.
35. Csoki the parrot – £50K
Rescued from a bazaar in Africa, Csoki went on to inherit £50K from his adoptive owner Victoria Brown. Csoki now lives in Ms Brown’s Greenwich mansion in London.
36. Big Tibby the tortoise – £50K
Big Tibby is the second richest reptile in the world after inheriting £50K from owner Donald Moss.
37. Japhia Lilac Moonshadown the cat – £30K
Another recipient of Christina Foyle’s infamous will, Japhia Lilac Moonshadow inherited his £30K share of her will in 1999.
38-39. Jasper and Jason the dogs – £25K each
Brewery heiress Diana Myburgh left her rescue dogs Jasper and Jason 25 k in 1995. Jason has since passed away but left his fortune to his best friend, Jasper.
40. Cleo the cat – £24K
Cleo the Balinese got her share of £24K in Christina Foyle’s will.
41. 48 Aberdeen Angus cattle and 100 Cheviot sheep – £20K each
It’s not just eccentric aristocrats and actors that mention their favourite animals in their wills, our own royal family have a pencant for the natural world, not least the late Queen Mother. Upon her death in 2002, the Queen Mother left a trust fund to 48 Aberdeen Angus cattle and 100 Cheviot sheep that caught her eye totalling £3million.
42-45. Porgy, Pride, Joy and Ronald the cats – £17.5K each
Yet more beneficiaries of Christina Foyle’s will, Porgy, Pride, Joy and Ronald each received £17.5K of their owner’s fortune.
46-47. Topcat and Matilda the cats – £10K each
Topcat and Matilda inherited £10K each in 2004 after their librarian owner passed away. Although their owner lived frugally, refusing central heating and travelling only by public bus service, she made sure that her cats would have only the best for their futures.
-ends-
*About the National Petrait Gallery
Launched in May this year by Petplan, the first ever National Petrait Gallery is an online photo gallery celebrating the nation’s love of pets. The Gallery is also a Guinness World Record attempt aiming to collate over 138,000 pet images.To date, the Gallery has already received over 16,500 image uploads. Visit http://www.petraitgallery.co.uk
For more information on Petplan’s Pet Rich List or the National Petrait Gallery please contact:
Kate Mallett
0208 580 8194
About Petplan
Petplan is the largest provider of animal health insurance in the world. Established more than 30 years ago, it is part of Allianz Insurance, one of the largest general insurers in the UK.
Pixie Lott Release Date
Pixie Lott, UK songwriter/actress and dancer, was signed to Mercury in 2007 and released her first single, “Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)” on 8th June this year which went straight in at number 1 in the UK charts, the first female artist not originating from a talent show to ever debut at number one.
Her debut album, Turn it Up, is released in September, preceded by her second single, “Boys and Girls”. At just 18 years of age, her enigmatic and soulful voice and multitude of talents has pitched her into the dizzy heights of contemporaries such as Natasha Bedingfield and Amy Winehouse. There is no doubt this one is heading for very big things indeed.
Where to get it >>
Samsung S1060 10.2 MP Digital Camera
Here we have the ‘Samsung S1060 10.2 MP Digital Camera’. This compact and well featured digital camera has a silver nicely rounded body.
The 1060 has a 10.2 megapixel sensor that is capable of taking excellent quality images that can be blown up into large size posters and portraits without loss of quality. The camera will support many different memory cards but also has a useful 20 MB of integrated memory. There is a five times digital zoom for getting up close to the action as well as built-in flash and redeye reduction.
The ‘Samsung S1060 10.2 MP Digital Camera’ is an extremely handy and well featured digital camera that is extremely affordable.
Where to get it >>
Sony AIR-SA20PK Speaker Dock
This version of dock is the ‘Sony AIR-SA20PK Speaker Dock’. This system was created for the iPod and the iPhone.
This fantastic system will look the part in any room of the home, with its stylish black rounded looks. The iPod dock will play your music anywhere in the home through the two AIR-SA20PK speakers. Each speaker is independent and will work wirelessly wherever you place them. You will be able to keep track of the signal strength to the two speakers on the LCD display. Other information provided on the display is song title and radio station details.
The ‘Sony AIR-SA20PK Speaker Dock’ is an excellent quality device that can be used remotely without the need for wiring.
Where to get it >>
Ant and Dec Release Date
Ant and Dec – Ooh! What a Lovely Pair: Our Story is the long awaited biography of one of the UK’s all time favourite comedy duos. This year sees them celebrating 20 years in show business together and it all started on the children’s TV show, Byker Grove, set in Newcastle Upon Tyne, all those years ago.
Ooh! What a Lovely Pair details their showbiz journey, from those early PJ and Duncan days to hosting I’m a Celebrity in the Australian jungle with all of the ups and downs, but mainly ups and a host of awards and accolades in between.
Ant & Dec – Ooh! What a Lovely Pair will be released on 24th September.
Where to get it >>
Living with the Dead Release Date
Living with the Dead is supernatural crime writer, Kelley Armstrong’s 9th book in the Women of the Otherworld series.
When Robyn Peltier—a very human PR rep—is framed for murder, the two people most determined to clear her name are half-demon tabloid reporter Hope Adams, and necromancer homicide detective John Findlay. And suddenly Robyn finds herself in the heart of a world she never knew existed—and which she is safer knowing nothing about….
Living with the Dead is released in paperback on 25th August.
Where to get it >>
Honda CR-Z Hybrid Car Release
The Tokyo Motor Show of 2007 first saw the early stage appearance of the hybrid ‘Honda CR-Z’. This hybrid car, running on fuel and electricity generation is built with the future and environmental issues taken into account. The CR- Z stands for “Compact Renaissance Zero”.
It is anticipated that the CR-Z will have a release date in the UK at some point in 2010; the exact date is likely to be confirmed towards the end of 2009. Initial sales of the new model will start from February 2010 in Japan.
The concept of this hybrid car is to provide a great looking design that is not only styled for the future but can also deliver the power that drivers require.
There will be an update to this information when the release date for the UK of the ‘Honda CR-Z’ Hybrid is announced.
Acer Aspire 7520 2.1 GHz Laptop
This is the ‘Acer Aspire 7520 2.1 GHz Laptop’. The 7520 has been constructed with the demands of memory hungry multimedia in mind.
This laptop has an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core TL-62 running at 2.1 GHz, along with 3 GB of RAM memory and a hard drive storage capacity of 250 GB. For viewing streaming video there is a large 17 inch CrystalBrite widescreen TFT panel. It is an easy operation to connect this laptop to a home network and the Internet wirelessly. There is a useful addition of a 5 in 1 card reader for reading media files on various types of memory cards.
The ‘Acer Aspire 7520 2.1 GHz Laptop’ has plenty of capability and comes in at a very reasonable price for all of the top-quality features that it has.
Where to get it >>
Acer Aspire 5536 - 643G25Mn 2.1GHz Laptop
This is the ‘Acer Aspire 5536 – 643G25Mn 2.1GHz Laptop’. It has an attractive glossy sapphire-blue Gemstone outer casing.
The processor for this laptop is an AMD Athlon64 X2 2.1GHz. There is 3 GB of RAM memory with a large sized 250 GB hard drive. The display screen is a 15.6 inches CineCrystal widescreen. It has excellent audio output from a Dolby surround sound system. Multimedia viewing is an enjoyable experience with the excellent sound and image technology that the laptop has. It’s an easy matter to access the Internet with the Acer InviLink Nplify which provides a fast and reliable connection.
The ‘Acer Aspire 5536 – 643G25Mn 2.1GHz Laptop’ is a super looking laptop that addresses all of users needs for multimedia entertainment and online connectivity.
Where to get it >>
Ring of Fire Release Date
Ring of Fire: The Inside Story of Valentino Rossi gives a personal account of the world of Italian pro MotoGP racer. A gripping story where millions are invested, riders will risk serious injury, shattered legs or even coma but emerge to ride again and again. Brought to us by Rick Broadbent of the Times, it’s the first time that the whole of the MotoGP era has been covered in one book, centering on the Italian champion and charting his triumphs and losses both on the track and with his rivals, Max Biaggi and Sete Gibernau along with battling against the tax man and the media.
It is a heart-stopping inside scoop on what drives these riders to risk it all at 200mph and also features double World Superbike champion James Toseland and Spanish starlets Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa as well as introducing us to the officials, parents, doctors, team owners and fans.
Ring of Fire is released on 16th July.
Where to get it >>