Wacky Will Wednesday: Wills That Make You Go “Hmmm…” – Ray Fulk

NB: This post is part of a series highlighting wills that contain some interesting, and sometimes bizarre, bequests and stipulations. You can see all these posts here.

Most leave their estate to family members, close friends or charity, not to people they’ve never met. But Ray Fulk had other ideas.

Fulk was a recluse who lived and died alone in an Illinois farmhouse. Even though his home had no running water and the car he drove was a Ford truck from the 1960s, he had amassed an estate worth about $1 million at the time of his death.

The 71–year-old died a single man with no children or close family member. However, he believed he had friends in two actors he had never personally met, Kevin Brophy and Peter Barton. Fulk had send them letters, and they had responded, thanking him for writing and pitching their next movie or show.

After Fulk died, his attorney sent the actors letters notifying them that Fulk had named them as beneficiaries of his estate. They initially thought it was a scam. Imagine their surprise when they realized they were really inheriting Ray Fulk’s estate!

This lovely photo is used courtesy of and copyright Free Range Stock, www.freerangestock.com., and Geoffrey Whiteway.