Balthazar’s Pad
Balthazar, a four-year-old cat, not only has nine lives, he has over £7 million.
Once a stray on the streets of Rome, Balthazar is now the world’s richest cat after inheriting millions in property from its 74-year-old owner who died.
Balthazar’s owner, Marshall Butten, died and left his entire estate to the lucky kitty. Largely a property portfolio, Butten owned homes and villas from Milan to Calabria. Butten’s lawyers Anna Orecchioni and Giacinto Canzona said he left the fortune to Balthazar in his will, which he wrote himself in their office in Rome in October 1975.
Butten didn’t have any children and was an orphan.
He gave his lawyers the mission to identify the animal welfare body or association to which to leave the inheritance and the task of looking after the cat Balthazar. Under Italian law, animals cannot inherit directly, but can be named beneficiaries once a trustee is found.
While Butten’s lawyers searched for a beneficiary organization, Stefania, only identified by her first name, became Butten’s assistant. The two met in a park and she took care of Butten when he became ill and has been named trustee to the cat and his fortune.
“I promised him that I would look after the cat when he was no longer around, he wanted to be sure that Balthazar would be loved and cuddled. I never imagined that he had this sort of wealth. He was very discreet and quiet, I knew very little of his private life. He only told me that he had suffered from loneliness a lot,” said his assistant Stefania.