Millionaire's will stated only the family who could have 'most babies in a decade' would inherit fortune
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Toronto Star Archives/Toronto Star via Getty Images
A millionaire who was known for his practical jokes and being a prankster pulled off the most unusual prank after his death.
Canadian lawyer Charles Vance Millar passed away on Halloween in 1926 at the age of 73.
The fact Millar died on 31 October seemed quite fitting for a man who thrived off playing light-hearted tricks to unfortunate victims.
However, no one could have predicted the lawyer's final ever prank which came from within his will.
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Upon his death, Millar had no immediate heirs or close relatives to inherit his mammoth fortune.
So, with the money that would amount to over $10 million in today's Canadian currency, Millar promised a large amount of it would go to the Toronto mother who had given birth 'to the greatest number of children' in the decade following his death.
And if it were a draw, he wanted his fortune to be split equally among the winners.
To be honest, you can kind of see his logic behind the move. The family with the most kids would need as much money as they can get as they have a lot more mouths to feed.
However, Millar probably didn't think about the full consequences of his actions, for example, the families that didn't win, despite them having many children in those ten years.
And as you'd probably expect, the audacious challenge led to absolute chaos in Toronto.
The Great Depression was also taking its toll back then as many were plunged into financial difficulties.
The contest was dubbed the 'Stork Derby' by local newspapers and was at the forefront of the media, as families set out a plan of action to maximize their fertility.
Four years before the deadline and six years after Millar's death, the Ontario government attempted to revoke the will and transfer the money to the University of Toronto.
However, that decision was quickly revoked after huge public uproar.
The Derby evolved into a highly contested race in the years that followed, with several families vying for the money after welcoming many children.
It got to the point where more than two dozen families had at least eight babies in ten years.
The contest very much had its sad side though, with some babies dying after living in poverty-stricken conditions.
After several legal battles took place, six families were awarded shares of Millar's estate, while others received settlements far less than what was promised.