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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think that many people would wonder/fantasise about this potential inheritance?

184 replies

Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 18:15

Am posting for some external perspective.

DH and I come from very different families in terms of attitudes to money, my family are very open about money, I’ve always known what was in my parents wills, my grandparents wills, when my grandfather came into some money we had a family get together to discuss who was getting what in terms of my cousins and I etc.

DHs family are much more old fashioned and finances are akin to a state secret.

Now here is where the AIBU comes into play, DHs grandparents are extremely wealthy, they don’t ‘act’ it, there are small tells ( e.g.his grandfather if he pays for lunch opens his wallet and there is often £5k of cash in there!) but they don’t live in a mansion or eat caviar, although they definitely could afford to if they wanted. If you knew them you’d think upper middle class maybe, but not wealthy.

We get snippets of information as DHs grandfather talks to him about investments from time to time, they have ‘several’ BVIs, to make offshore accounts worthwhile you need millions in there, let alone to justify multiple of them. His work pension requires a team of accountants to manage it efficiently and they were approached a few months ago by one of their financial advisers to buy 25 luxury apartments in London, DH manages London properties so his grandfather asked him about it (only way we know this bit)

So although no one in the family knows how much there is, we know there is a lot (DH was also asked to look over the paperwork when his grandfather sold his last company and it sold for £15 million in 2007, so that’s the ‘minimum’ that is there, but he had 22 other companies throughout his lifetime and sold them all for nice amounts apparently over the course of the 90’s)

AIBU to think it’s only normal to wonder, if not fantasise about this when you know there is a potentially life changing amount of money out there that could be left to grand children (and by extension you)

Obviously the obligatory we know it’s their money, we don’t have a right to any of it and they might leave it all to a cat sanctuary, but I don’t think I ABU to wonder about it, like when people dream about winning the lottery, if it was a couple of hundred grand I’d not think about it, but I can’t imagine many people, knowing there could be tens of millions+ left to their husband/wife that wouldn’t think about it from time to time.

DH thinks it’s morbid to think about it at all and doesn’t care one way or another, as although they are well off they are somewhat tight with their cash and seem to hoard it over using it to support their family, so doesn’t pay it much attention.

YABU - I’d not pay any attention to the fact my family could be in for a windfall

YANBU - of course I’d have the odd dream about what fancy car I’d buy with all that money

OP posts:
MadameDe · 27/12/2022 18:46

I frequently spend this type of money in my head. It is a bit morbid to dwell on it but I'm sure you're not doing this.

jollygoose · 27/12/2022 18:46

well I would certainly be very nice to him!

Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 18:47

Pumperthepumper · 27/12/2022 18:44

And how did he close his wallet, in that case? How long did he hold it open for you to see?

He is 80, takes him about 9 years to do most general tasks these days, so it’s often open for a while, he also sometimes needs help finding a certain card so plenty of time waving it around, DH has mentioned it to him before as it’s very obvious there is a lot of money in the wallet and that can make him a target if he isn’t careful.

I really do wonder what kind of relationships some posters have with family, I know how much is often in my mums purse if we go out for lunch and she pays first or pays for us both. It doesn’t take two seconds to notice wads of cash in a wallet, since it’s quite unusual

OP posts:
bellac11 · 27/12/2022 18:47

Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 18:44

Yes an old man fumbling with his wallet, often asking for help finding a certain card = eyes on stalks

some of you are just too funny.

Well as someone else has implied, this must be a massive wallet, more like a clutch bag I reckon

There was another thread the other day about a daughter in law having intricate knowledge of her father in law's income and money and how much he has in his pockets at any one time

This is similar. I find it staggering to be honest.

bibbif · 27/12/2022 18:49

I don't understand why you would have so much money & not enjoy it & spread it about whilst everyone is still alive!

Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 18:50

bellac11 · 27/12/2022 18:47

Well as someone else has implied, this must be a massive wallet, more like a clutch bag I reckon

There was another thread the other day about a daughter in law having intricate knowledge of her father in law's income and money and how much he has in his pockets at any one time

This is similar. I find it staggering to be honest.

considering my post is literally stating we have so little knowledge of his income and money I’m not sure how the comparison to that post is relevant, but again thank you for the chuckle this evening, I always forget how ott some posters on here are.

OP posts:
Pumperthepumper · 27/12/2022 18:50

Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 18:47

He is 80, takes him about 9 years to do most general tasks these days, so it’s often open for a while, he also sometimes needs help finding a certain card so plenty of time waving it around, DH has mentioned it to him before as it’s very obvious there is a lot of money in the wallet and that can make him a target if he isn’t careful.

I really do wonder what kind of relationships some posters have with family, I know how much is often in my mums purse if we go out for lunch and she pays first or pays for us both. It doesn’t take two seconds to notice wads of cash in a wallet, since it’s quite unusual

I haven’t got a clue how much money my mum has, but I’m also not sizing her up for an inheritance so maybe that’s the difference.

How big is his wallet that it regularly holds 5k in cash?

AlwaysGinPlease · 27/12/2022 18:50

I'd say someone is certainly fantasizing...

bibbif · 27/12/2022 18:52

I really do wonder what kind of relationships some posters have with family, I know how much is often in my mums purse if we go out for lunch and she pays first or pays for us both

I think the point is most people don't pay attention! I just took my mums card out of her purse to buy something online she wanted, I haven't even registered what cash is in there.

DarkKarmaIlama · 27/12/2022 18:53

Whatever you do …. Do not divorce your husband any time soon 😂😂

Christmascracker0 · 27/12/2022 18:54

Just because a company sold for £15m doesn’t mean grandfather would have received £15m. There are usually other investors who would receive a share, loans etc to be paid off.

Usually, very wealthy people don’t tend to wait until death to pass assets down to children/grandchildren - it’s very inefficient from an IHT perspective. So if grandfather is as loaded as you think, I would have hoped your husband would have received something by now! Either directly from grandfather or by way of a trust for husband/your children.

spirit20 · 27/12/2022 18:54

If it were his parents, I'd probably fantasise about it, even though I'd feel very guilty. But if it's grandparents, it's too remote to start thinking about it yet, especially if he has said he isn't leaving anything to you directly. They could leave it all to their children, who could then spend it themselves on bad investments etc. before it gets to your generation.

Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 18:55

bibbif · 27/12/2022 18:49

I don't understand why you would have so much money & not enjoy it & spread it about whilst everyone is still alive!

This is exactly what DH gets a bit annoyed about, his father, uncles and some of his cousins really struggle, or are held back due to lack of savings and his grandparents could fix it very easily and don’t. His cousin recently left an abusive relationship and was homeless for a couple of months due to her partner taking everything out of their joint account and savings, they didn’t even offer their sofa to sleep on, let alone a few quid to get a hotel or help with a rental deposit etc.

It’s quite alien to me especially, as although my family aren’t well off, they will scrimp and save to help their kids and grandchildren, if my dad finds £1 on the floor he gives me and my brother 50p each type of attitude.

How the rich stay rich I suppose!

OP posts:
TinaYouFatLard · 27/12/2022 18:55

Who the hell wouldn’t fantasise about this? Fibbers!

TwoMonthsOff · 27/12/2022 18:56

Im getting those Channel 5 Lifetime Thriller Movie Vibes ……the ones with the lurid titles, Filmed in a generic Canadian town with Z List ‘actors’

SingedToast · 27/12/2022 18:57

Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 18:47

He is 80, takes him about 9 years to do most general tasks these days, so it’s often open for a while, he also sometimes needs help finding a certain card so plenty of time waving it around, DH has mentioned it to him before as it’s very obvious there is a lot of money in the wallet and that can make him a target if he isn’t careful.

I really do wonder what kind of relationships some posters have with family, I know how much is often in my mums purse if we go out for lunch and she pays first or pays for us both. It doesn’t take two seconds to notice wads of cash in a wallet, since it’s quite unusual

I find this deeply bizarre, that you’re eyeballing your relatives’ wallets on a regular basis. There’s another current thread about a tight FIL, where the OP claimed he gave the children a paltry amount to play an arcade game or something when he had ‘at least £12 in change in his pockets’. Maybe it’s a kind of financial ESP?

OP, I wouldn’t count your chickens. DH has some dealings recently with a extraordinarily rich eightysomething man, who is leaving his entire £9 billion fortune to charity, apart from small trusts for grandchildren’s education.

Pumperthepumper · 27/12/2022 18:57

Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 18:55

This is exactly what DH gets a bit annoyed about, his father, uncles and some of his cousins really struggle, or are held back due to lack of savings and his grandparents could fix it very easily and don’t. His cousin recently left an abusive relationship and was homeless for a couple of months due to her partner taking everything out of their joint account and savings, they didn’t even offer their sofa to sleep on, let alone a few quid to get a hotel or help with a rental deposit etc.

It’s quite alien to me especially, as although my family aren’t well off, they will scrimp and save to help their kids and grandchildren, if my dad finds £1 on the floor he gives me and my brother 50p each type of attitude.

How the rich stay rich I suppose!

So maybe they’re not rich then?

Suzi888 · 27/12/2022 18:59

I wouldn’t fantasise about something that may never happen. Pointless. Is he generous with money now?

If you keep banging on about it your DH may divorce you before you get your sticky mitts on his inheritance. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣Imagine the mn post.

Sunsetintheeast · 27/12/2022 19:00

DarkKarmaIlama · 27/12/2022 18:53

Whatever you do …. Do not divorce your husband any time soon 😂😂

That’s what I was thinking.

in all seriousness OP, you could be in your 60’s before you see any of this money.

bibbif · 27/12/2022 19:01

Usually, very wealthy people don’t tend to wait until death to pass assets down to children/grandchildren - i

My brothers in-laws aren't anything like the OPs but he & sil were recently gifted 200k as better now than 20 yrs time.

Itsthewhitehat · 27/12/2022 19:01

I think musing about it is fine. When it’s your own family.

wanting to engage your husband in the fantasy planning for it, when it’s his own relatives is very poor.

If my partner or my brother wife wanted to engage in what they plan for when my Dad dies, I would think it was in poor taste and I wouldn’t be happy about it.

WeAreBorg · 27/12/2022 19:04

I would absolutely fantasise OP, you’re being entirely reasonable.

Also on a completely unrelated note is the grandfather single?

Pearl664 · 27/12/2022 19:05

Sorry, but I find your comments about looking in his wallet disgusting. I lost a family member earlier this year and have inherited a substantial sum of money. I'd trade it all, and every penny in my bank account, to have them back. You are grabby and entitled.

Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 19:05

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Tiltedandwilted · 27/12/2022 19:06

Pearl664 · 27/12/2022 19:05

Sorry, but I find your comments about looking in his wallet disgusting. I lost a family member earlier this year and have inherited a substantial sum of money. I'd trade it all, and every penny in my bank account, to have them back. You are grabby and entitled.

So if someone asks you to help find a particular card you can do that without looking?

Thats some skill you have

OP posts:
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