Ratan Tata, honorary chairman of India’s Tata Group, passed away on October 9 after a long illness. He left the majority of his estate to his pet dog.
According to the British Daily Mail, Tata’s will stipulate that his German shepherd, Tito, will inherit a significant portion of his £91 million estate.
Indian media outlets estimate that Tata left approximately $72 million to his dog, Tito, through his will.
In addition to his dog, Tata left a substantial portion of his estate to his butler, who also served as his chief secretary and chef. His siblings will inherit only a part of the estate.
In his will, Tata specified that providing unlimited care for Tito was a condition for inheriting the estate. As his butler and chef currently care for Tito, a significant portion of the inheritance has gone to them.
Tata was born the great-grandson of Jamsetji Tata, founder of the Tata Group. After graduating from Cornell University in the United States, he became involved in management. He grew Tata into a global conglomerate, acquiring significant companies such as luxury car brands Jaguar and Land Rover.
The Tata Group boasts over 100 subsidiaries in various sectors, including automotive, finance, aviation, hospitality, and media, employing 750,000 people.
Despite being born into a wealthy family and serving as chairman of a major corporation, Tata was known for his frugal and humble lifestyle. He remained single his entire life and, upon his retirement in 2012, handed over the chairmanship to someone outside of his family.