Indian Tycoon Who Bought Korean Company Daewoo... Left '100 Billion Won Inheritance' to Pet Dog

Ratan Tata, the honorary chairman of India's Tata Group who recently passed away, is reported to have left an inheritance worth approximately 100 billion won to his pet dog. While Tata left a significant inheritance to the caretakers and chefs who looked after his dog, he left only a portion of his estate to his siblings.

[Photo by Rattan Tata, Instagram capture]

On the 27th (local time), the British Daily Mail reported the contents of Tata's will, who passed away on the 9th, stating that more than half of his estate worth 91 million pounds (about 163.1 billion won) was inherited by his German Shepherd dog, 'Tito.' Local Indian media estimated that around 100 billion won worth of assets were inherited by Tito.

Ratan Tata, who never married and had no children during his lifetime, adopted Tito, a stray dog, about six years ago after losing a dog he had previously raised. Tito was Tata's only family member and was deeply loved, reportedly staying by his side until the moment he passed away.

In addition to Tito, Tata left a substantial portion of his inheritance to his butler, chief secretary, and chef, who had been by his side for over 30 years. His will specified that the inheritance was conditional on providing "unlimited care" to his beloved dog Tito.

A close friend of Tata told local media in an interview, "Anyone who knew Tata well would not find this inheritance surprising," adding, "This will is not merely a display of wealth but a token of gratitude for the joy and care given to him by his pet dog and two close aides."

However, Tata reportedly left only a portion of his estate to his biological brother Jimmy Tata and his half-siblings. Media reports noted that it is uncommon in India for large inheritances to be left to pets or caretakers, with most estates typically passed on to family members.

Meanwhile, Ratan Tata was born in 1937 as the great-grandson of Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the Tata Group. After graduating from Cornell University in the United States, he returned to his homeland and participated in management, successfully acquiring global major companies such as luxury car brands Jaguar and Land Rover, growing Tata into a global conglomerate beyond India. In 2004, he acquired South Korea's Daewoo and renamed it Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle. Despite being born into a chaebol family and serving as chairman of a major corporation, he was known for living a frugal and modest life and was often regarded as a respected business leader in India.