When someone passes away and their 401k is left to a friend how long do they have to collect it before it goes

Question

unclaimed. Does it ever go back into the deceased persons estate?

Answer 1

Tell your benefactors to go to Vegas and have a great time to honor your life, and then cremate your partying ways while you were alive.

Answer 2

If the 401(K) plan was left to someone in a will, it is legally theirs and no longer a part of the estate. Not drawing the money from the plan has no effect on the ownership. It will never revert back to the estate.