Hundreds of crores of property, one Nokia mobile phone: What Ratan Tata owned, left after his death

Revered industrialist Ratan Tata, who passed away on October 9 last year, divided his possessions among his family, staff and pets. The last will of Tata, which was made on February 23, 2022, revoking the ones made on April 18, 1996, and November 10, 2009, revealed that the late industrialist owned only one mobile phone. 

According to the last will that India Today TV accessed, Ratan Tata, who owned assets and properties worth hundreds of crores, had just one Nokia mobile phone to himself. He owned around 34 wrist watches, including some high-end brands and also a few from Titan, which is a Tata Group Company, and a Taj Mahal Palace watch. 

Mehli Mistry, Darius Khambata, Shireen Jejeebhoy and Deanna Jejeebhoy were named as executors and trustees to his last will and testament. 

Here’s what Ratan Tata’s will stated: 

• Ordinary and preference shares of Tata Sons will be held in the trust for public charitable purposes, and the income therefrom will be distributed for public charitable purposes too. 
• Darius Khambatta, Deanna Jejeebhoy, Shireen Jejeebhoy and Mehil Mistry should be directors of Ratan Tata Foundation. 
• The executors and trustees cannot sell or transfer shares of Tata Sons in any manner except to an existing shareholder of Tata Sons. The income from these shares should be distributed for following charitable purposes. 
• The will stated that the income should be used for charity in schools or colleges vocational institutions for education of deserving students from very poor families or orphanages, provide scholarships to poor and deserving students, donations to old age homes or orphanages and support for the poor, help individuals in dire need of funds arising out of extraordinary circumstances or medical needs, and veterinary hospitals and private organisations looking after stray and abandoned dogs.
• The interest free loans given to the three domestic servants should not be recovered and no steps to be taken by the executors to recover these loans. 
• He asked for Rs 15 lakh to be distributed out of his estate to domestic servants who have been in employment for a period of more than 7 years in proportion to their years of service, other than the three servants mentioned earlier. 
• Rs 2 lakh to be distributed out of his estate to domestic servants and drivers other than the above mentioned who have been in employment for a period of 7 years. 
• He wished for individual payments of up to Rs 50,000 per person in proportion to years of working for Tata. 
• Rs 1 lakh out of his estate to part-time helpers, house and car cleaners who were employed at the time of his death, in individual payments up to Rs 30,000 per person in proportion of years working for him. 
• Rs 40 lakh for the housekeeper and his family, Rs 20 lakh for another housekeeper and Rs 1.50 lakh to the driver. Rs 2 lakh to the Alibaug housekeeper. 
• Rs 50,000 each to two peons who were no longer in employment of the company. 
• An educational loan given to a neighbor of Rs 23.72 lacs should not be recovered, the will stated. 
• Rs 5 lakh to one employee, Rs 1.5 lakh each to a secretary and another staffer. 
• The executors should not recover any balance amount of student loan given to his friend. 
• Rs 12 lakh to be set apart by the executors for his living pets, and give Rs 30,000 per pet per quarter in advance for the lifetime of each pet to whichever beneficiaries or others who will take his pets individually or together. 
• If the pets expire before the amount set apart gets over then the residue can be transferred to charity. 
• Tata, in his will, bequeathed one-third each of his financial properties to his sisters Shireen Jejeebhoy, Deanna Jejeebhoy and Mohini Dutta. If they wish to take over other assets like cars, paintings etc then the value will be part of the 1/3rd share given to them respectively. 
• Jewellery and silver articles are to be given to his brother Jimmy Naval Tata, sisters Shireen Jejeebhoy and Deanna Jejeebhoy.
• The one fourth share in the Juhu bungalow will be given to brother Jimmy Naval Tata.
• The Alibaug bungalow at Varsoli village will be bequeathed to close friend Mehli Mistry. 
• All household articles like TVs, air conditioners, computers, records, crystal pieces to be sold by the executors and divided among Shireen Jejeebhoy, Deanna Jejeebhoy and Mohini Dutta.
• Ratan Tata’s books are to be given to his sisters and remaining to be given to a library or sold as per discretion of executors.
• Ratan Tata owned three weapons which were under license from Mumbai Police. The three weapons are 25 Bore pistol Colt, 12 Bore DBBL Gun by Army & Navy and 22 pistol Hi Standard with spare barrel. The three weapons are bequeathed to his friend Mehli Mistry.