The super-rich think $26 million is too little for an inheritance

Just how many millions make for the perfect inheritance?
A new Merrill Lynch study of 206 wealthy individuals found that out of $100 million, they on average believed $63 million is too high an inheritance to leave your child, while a stingy $26 million is too low.
Roughly half of the high-net parents surveyed, who each had at least $5 million in investable assets, expressed concern that leaving an inheritance that was too high would give their children a "sense of entitlement," Bloomberg reports, which apparently wouldn't come with anything less than $26 million.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The survey also asked respondents other financial questions about their estate taxes. While the exact amount for a perfect inheritance is debatable, 86 percent of those surveyed said they would "do as much as possible within the rules to minimize taxes." And while 91 percent of respondents said they wanted to give family members the majority of their money, only four percent named philanthropy as their top priority.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
-
Quiz of The Week: 1 - 7 March
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By The Week Staff Published
-
Superboys of Malegaon: 'uplifting' Indian love letter to scrappy filmmaking
The Week Recommends 'Feelgood' comedy about a group of friends who make their own versions of Bollywood hits
By The Week UK Published
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures Rio’s dirtiest party, a pancake-flipping race, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rally
Speed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published