Hunter S. Thompson's ashes were launched from a 15-story tower at his ranch in August 2005, and a lawsuit later put the cost at $3 million paid by Johnny Depp

Hunter S. Thompson died at his Owl Farm home in Woody Creek, Colorado, in February 2005 by gunshot. His widow, Anita, said he left no suicide note. On the night of 20 August 2005 about 250 invited guests, including Bill Murray and Johnny Depp, watched his ashes launched from a 15-story tower shaped like Thompson's fist-and-dagger logo^†. Depp, who played Thompson in a 1998 film, reportedly funded much of it and said he was making Thompson's last wish come true. The Aspen Daily News reported at the time that Depp paid $2.5 million. In 2017 the same paper reported that a lawsuit by Depp against his former management company said he paid $3 million for the cannon funeral. Anita Thompson defended the spending. The company's side raised the funeral in its response^†. Depp's side of that dispute was an allegation in a civil case, not a finding. Thompson's son, Juan, took part in the ceremony.