Rich Old Widower Leaves $10M Inheritance to Only One Heir – His Son Finds Out He Doesn’t Get a Dime

A Reddit user found himself in a predicament where his parents made a decision out of their good hearts but ended up sacrificing their relationship with him.

He turned to the platform to ask for advice. Despite being hurt by some of his parents’ decisions, he still had a lot of support from his grandparents.

The grandson won big with his grandfather’s inheritance. He inherited everything, leaving his father with nothing.

Why Did the Old Man Give His Millions Only to His Grandchild?

From what the Reddit user shared, his grandfather did not have the best relationship with his father because his father decided to adopt two children, even when he could no longer afford to take care of his biological son (the Reddit user).

The father of three did not listen to anyone’s hesitations and went on with the adoption process. But in the midst of that, his relationship with his father deteriorated.

When the adopted children arrived, his biological son was ten years old and had to give up his room for his two new siblings. He slept on the couch for a year to allow the kids to adjust to the new environment.

The parents overcompensated to make the two children feel welcome, and since they already had a biological son, they were scared he would do something to traumatize the adopted kids.

However, the grandfather did not like that his grandchild was given the couch and made it clear that he did not consider his son’s adopted children his grandchildren.

Therefore, the old man would spend a lot of time with his grandson, taking him on vacations, fishing, and cycling. The old man was a doting grandfather who ended up paying for his grandson’s college tuition and the downpayment for his first house.

When the man’s wife died, his grandson was his closest relative and stayed with him until his last day. But as they grew their relationship, the biological child’s connection with his parents suffered even more.

Unfortunately, the old man died, and his son, his wife, and two adopted children showed up to the will hearing after not being in contact with the old man for a long time. The Reddit user said he was angry at the sight of his parents and siblings. “I was pretty pissed they had the nerve to show up,” he shared.

But as it turned out, the old man left his entire inheritance to him. The son felt betrayed, and his adopted children were upset because they hoped the money would help pay off their debts.

As the rivalry within the family unfolded, the Reddit user’s mother tried to get him to share his inheritance. “My mother took me aside and told me it would be nice if I could split the inheritance three ways since I didn’t need all the money and that my siblings were his grandchildren too,” he wrote.

The siblings, one female and one male, were 22 and 24 when the Reddit confession was posted. They approached the biological grandson, insinuating that they were entitled to the old man’s fortune. But the grandson’s great-uncle came to his defense.

The great-uncle had no children and said his inheritance would also go to his biological relative. Therefore, between the grandfather and the great-uncle, the money coming to the biological grandson would be close to $10 million.

But more was added to his name. “My grandma from my mom’s side has put me as the inheritor of their house (another 2 mil) because she believes family is blood and won’t accept my mother’s decision to adopt,” wrote the Reddit user.

This whole issue completely destroyed the relationship between him and his parents. The mother tried to reach out but was threatened with a restraining order.

As for the siblings, he told them, “Maybe if they worked hard enough, they could get this money.” However, the Reddit user confessed to feeling bad about how things ended between him and his parents because their decision to adopt came from a good place.

Still, the biological son said he would not miss his family because of his close connection with his maternal side of the family and the amazing friends in his corner.

The Reddit user asked his readers if he was wrong for not sharing the inheritance with his siblings despite his broken relationship with his parents. However, he also admitted, “I don’t want to break my grandpa’s will.”

Commenters’ Reaction to the Family Dilemma

Many did not disagree with the grandson. They believed he was entitled to his inheritance and did not have to share it with anyone. However, they also thought the man was being condescending, telling his adopted siblings to work for the money.

That particular statement did not sit well with many Reddit commenters, with some calling him a “hypocrite,” “uncompassionate,” and “spoiled” since he also did not work for the money. Meanwhile, another netizen added a lengthy explanation as to why the biological son was not wrong.

First, the commenter pointed out that the grandfather had basically taken full responsibility for his grandchild and felt he played a parental role, meaning he did not feel obligated to share his inheritance with the adopted children.

Additionally, the adopted children were also seen as wrong since they got to experience their parents’ love while the biological child did not. Therefore, the commenter thought they were trying to cheat themselves into getting the money.

The commenter reiterated that the 22 and 24-year-olds were not being punished because nothing was taken away from them. But the parents were at fault because they did not balance their household after expanding their family.

Here is another story about an orphan who received a $3.7 million inheritance.