Toby Rimes
Toby Rimes is a mythical poodle said to be worth about $92 million. The tale holds that he descends from a poodle named Tobey owned by New York millionaire Ella Wendel in 1931. After Ella’s death, some stories claimed she left her dog millions and that all of the dog’s descendants named Toby Rimes would inherit the money. This is an urban legend, and there was a real dog named Tobey, but there’s no solid evidence of the fortune.
The name Toby Rimes first appeared in a March 15, 2004, London Mirror article by Dawn Knight, which listed Toby Rimes as a descendant who inherited 15 million pounds from Ella Wendel. Since then, many outlets repeated the story with embellishments, sometimes using a photo of a white poodle in sunglasses. The photo is a stock image by Eric Isselee.
The inheritance claim goes back to at least 1933 when the London Daily Express incorrectly said Tobey inherited 15 million pounds, a claim picked up by other papers. Headlines in the U.S. varied between saying the dog was penniless and claiming huge sums went to the dogs or to animal charities.
A New York city attorney who reviewed Ella Wendel’s will found no designation of a pet or money for its care. The will directed money to animal protection societies, not to a dog.
Time magazine noted in 1933 that Tobey was not mentioned in the will. In 1951 Time repeated the “richest dog” angle, but again the will did not mention him. In 1985 the Guinness Book of Pet Records called the richest dog on record Toby, based on the mistaken inheritance story.
The real Tobey died in 1933, and his obituary ran in the New York Times.
Conclusion: Toby Rimes is a popular legend, not supported by the will or reliable records. There was a real Tobey, but he did not inherit a fortune.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 09:09 (CET).