Beggar millionaire: the story of a woman who was an amazing miser and an investment genius (10 photos)

This particular lady is considered not only the standard of greed, but also the richest American woman of the beginning of the last century.





So, the famous gilded age - the time of the power of capital, such dynasties as Rockefellers, Vanderbilts and others. In 1835 in the family of the owner of the whaling fleet had a daughter, Henrietta Howland Robinson. The family lived in the coastal town of New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Whaler Princess



Hetty

Relatives were often busy, and the baby was left under the supervision of her grandfather Gideon Howland, the founder of the family business.

The man did not see well and asked the girl, who has been from the age of 6 briskly read, to cover the latest stock reports for him. Not just like this: he paid the little reader a small "salary."

Sometimes her father took her with him. And young Hetty diligently absorbed everything that was happening in the port: smells, sounds, abuse, which loaders and sailors exchanged among themselves. She was a diligent student and soon she was in full command of her classmates, organically screwing them into outline of speech corresponding words. Predictably, the girl has no girlfriends was. And all the cute girlish secrets bypassed Hetty.



Already a teenager, the girl was well versed in accounting, helped her father to manage his affairs (for a fee, of course) and rejoiced at legal ways to reduce costs.

However, she was happy to save on herself. Considering foolish to spend a lot of money on a prom dress that you need once in her life, Hetty took them to the bank, and went to graduation old. After school, I studied accounting courses and enjoyed plunged into the world of finance.



A pretty plump girl with an upturned nose and dimples on the cheeks began to appear fans. But suitors quickly evaporated, knowing the bride better: she neglected the appearance, wore almost the only dress and worn shoes. On horseback hairdressing delights was a careless bun. Mother did not wait for marriage daughter and died.

This financial-financial world



Hetty and her father moved to New York. After few years his father also went to another world, warning before his death that his could take their lives intentionally - poison them. Since then, a young woman became suspicious and suspicious. She only ate what she cooked herself. A then she believed in the miraculous powers of homeopathy and in solid doses used on an ongoing basis onions and garlic, "pleasing" others smell.

The businessman left the child a huge fortune, about 7.5 million dollars. But the daughter does not squander it on outfits and jewelry. became: she began to save, invest and multiply. For a few litigation dragged on for years - contesting the will of a deceased sister mother. The aunt bequeathed 2/3 of her considerable fortune to her niece. But then changed it, and the funds were to go to charity. WITH with the enthusiasm of a wounded tigress fighting for her life, Hetty began fight for inheritance. Found an older will and forged a page that allegedly canceled all subsequent ones.

Hello love?



With husband

Simultaneously with the legal battle, the 32-year-old woman unexpectedly married for herself. Edward Green was well past 40 and clearly not was a girl's dream come to life: short, with bald patches and a tummy. But from a wealthy family. In the groom, Hetty was attracted by the similarity of views: he He was also quite tight-fisted and did not like to spend money on any nonsense. Before the marriage, Hetty insisted on signing a prenuptial agreement, under which the husband could not claim her premarital property.

A year after the luxurious wedding of 1867, the family was born son of Ned. And two more daughter Sylvia. The family moved to England since the inheritance business promised to end unpleasantly for Hetty: for forging documents and trying to bribe a judge, she could get lattice.

Edward was mainly engaged in everyday life and children, and his wife disappeared on the stock exchange, playing on the exchange rate difference between the dollar and the pound. IN As a result, the court still dismissed the claim, but paid about a third of what was supposed to be the niece according to the first will. Well, not 2 million, of course, but 660 thousand is also niceth amount.

Time to go home



The danger passed, and the family moved back to New York. The money received, along with income from the father's and aunt's funds woman invested in securities. Basically these were railway shares. It also invested in construction, oil production and gold, steel production. And increased capital.

Edward increasingly made rash transactions, his business went worse. And the couple separated. Hetty rented a cheap hotel room and plunged headlong into the world of securities. Now no one bothered her. A the woman herself needed the bare minimum. She wore the same dress ate oatmeal, bargained enthusiastically for every cent. Not bothered with hygiene and laundry, ignored doctors. What about the meaning? After all incurable diseases cannot be cured, and the rest will go away on their own.

Regularly Hetty, who owned millions, moved from place to place. place, hiding from the tax inspectors. called by a different name, when the lie was revealed, she again changed her place of residence.

Misfortune



This history is ambiguous. Hetty's son injured his leg while hill riding. The limb hurt, began to swell. But a careful mother refused to call a doctor, ordering her to apply ice and go to bed. Situation worsened. Sylvia was on duty at her brother's bed, and her mother was engaged with their affairs. When the fever did not subside, and the leg became crimson, Hetty turned to her ex-husband. They took the boy to the hospital, but the leg had to be amputated: gangrene began. Hetty done wild scandal, blaming everyone and everything. Just don't plead guilty.

But there is another version. Hetty was ready to help her son, but there was no miracle cure. And unclean hands doctors pulled money from her for treatment, knowing who she was.

How it really happened is hard to say. But the son's prosthesis became her eternal reproach, and before the illness of the child she always gave in. Tried appease conscience and guilt with increased care. But it backfired mother: Ned became capricious and wayward. Did what he wanted.

Decline of the dynasty



With daughter and son-in-law

In 1902, Edward's ex-husband died. In complete poverty. Mister Green asked for help from his ex-wife, but she ignored the requests.

Hetty survived him by 14 years and died of a stroke in the house son. Modest Sylvia did not argue with her mother and lived with her for a long time. old maid. But Hetty still approved the party - a middle-aged millionaire Matthew Astor Wilks. The woman thus showed concern for her daughter, so that she won't be left alone. But a pragmatic calculation, of course, also there was: the chosen one was almost 20 years older. And succession to Sylvia he was clearly not in danger.



After the death of Hetty, the state is about $ 200 million children shared. The son married a girl of easy virtue and with happy to squander money: mansions, cars, yachts, antiques. Ned died in 1936. Both his and Sylvia's marriage were childless. Sylvia survived her husband by a quarter of a century and bequeathed to give everything for charity.

The legacy of the "Witch of Wall Street," as Hetty was called, disappeared, dissolving in schools, libraries, hospitals. But great miser Green left a simple recipe for wealth: “In creating a fortune, it was a big secret. All you have to do is buy cheap and sell dearly, act with frugality and discernment, and then be consistent."