Thread

Around the world, millions die without a will—most of them not by choice, but because they never accumulated enough wealth to think one was needed. Meanwhile, those who do have wills are often those already holding inherited wealth. This quiet divide reinforces a pattern where assets concentrate within certain families, locking others out of the opportunity to build intergenerational security. Inheritance remains one of the last socially accepted forms of nepotism. It feels natural—after all, who wouldn’t want to protect their own? But this “natural” instinct helps concentrate advantage and quietly deepens inequality. What if we imagined something different? Voluntary Randomised Estate Division (VRED) rethinks the rules. Instead of passing everything down to those you already love and know, VRED proposes distributing some or all of your estate to a randomised sample of people who die on the same day as you. In my case, I’ve chosen people in South Australia. A synchronised, unknowable link between strangers—a shared moment in time. Randomness isn’t chaos. It’s the raw material of evolution, creativity, and life itself. It introduces possibility. And I’ve chosen to make it part of my legacy. This isn’t about abandoning my family—I’ll provide for them during my life, and protect them in my death. But I also want to acknowledge that I have more than enough love and resources to support others too. It’s not a zero-sum game. My will is real. It’s legally binding. And if my estate is large enough, it will impact people I’ll never know—but whose lives are no less worthy of opportunity. If we can embrace randomness where it matters least to us—but most to others—we might unlock a radically fairer future. What would your version of inheritance look like? Read more here: patreon.com/randomestates