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Wealthy Heiress’s Empty Mansions Attest To How Material Things Can’t Buy Happiness

By Peter Anderson 8 Comments - The content of this website often contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you buy through those links (at no cost to you!). Learn more about how we make money. Last edited March 15, 2012.

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Up on a bluff on the Pacific Ocean sits Bellosguardo – or “Beautiful view.” – a $100 million dollar mansion owned by a reclusive billionaire and 104 year old heiress Huguette Clark. By any account the mansion is beautiful, and the estate is one that any person would love to call home. The thing is, the reclusive owner of the estate hasn’t been there in many decades. Neither has she ever stayed at her estate in Connecticut which she bought in 1952, and she has only rarely been seen at her suites in New York in the past 30 years. For the past few decades since the death of her mother Huguette been a reclusive figure, preferring to remain in the shadows, only talking with a few people, including her lawyer. She now lives in a hospital room, not necessarily because she’s sick, but because it’s easier for her to be there.

So how did it all start for her, and how did she end up living such a reclusive life where things like her homes meant so little to her?  From NBC:

Empty Mansions

Huguette inherited a fortune in railroads, copper mines, cattle, timber and banks. Her father also owned the land that would one day become Las Vegas. But it was here in Santa Barbara that she began to turn her back on all that, retreating from the world after a brief marriage.

Like her mother’s before her, Huguette’s wedding sold a lot of newspapers. Her husband, William Gower, was a bank clerk making 30 bucks a week; Huguette spent 11 times that much every day. She confided to friends that her great wealth was a “menace to happiness,” yet she hung out with rich daredevils who drove fast cars and flew rickety planes. Her marriage lasted two years.

Huguette was later linked with Edward Fitzgerald, the Duke of Leinster, who subsequently told a British bankruptcy court he had come to America looking for a rich wife. The duke denied being engaged to Huguette, but again her life was reduced to cartoons in newspapers.

She stepped into the shadows for good. Huguette never remarried; had no children.

Huguette found that she was living in a prison of her own wealth, one where she felt that her wealth was the only reason people wanted to be around her, and one where they would just as quickly turn on you if they had the chance.

She was by many accounts a generous person, and for those in her inner circle,  a wonderful soul.  But as she has aged, the money and homes didn’t mean as much – until the point where she gave up her lavish apartment and started living in a drab hospital room.

Almost everyone who worked for Huguette had a job until they died. She sent her chauffeur out to pick up an elderly maid every day. Now she is quite old herself; she turned 104 in June.

“She’s still alive,” Andre Baeyens said. “She knows where she is. She’s not very interested in her friends, but she’s still alive.”

In New York, he said. My colleague, Bill Dedman, msnbc.com’s investigative reporter, tracked her to a hospital.

“I had imagined she’s in a three-room suite, a room for her caretaker, and it’s elegant,” Dedman recalled. “I found that part of the hospital. They looked her up in the computer and they said, ‘No, she’s not here. She’s down in another section.’

“I went there and it’s drab, patient names written on a board in the hallway. It couldn’t be more ordinary.”

Huguette had lavish estates in California and Connecticut, but hasn’t been to either in 50-60 years.  She had money, but it doesn’t sound like it had brought her enjoyment in years.  In fact she now is not even “very interested in friends”.

Money, Material Things And Wealth Can’t Bring Your Happiness

For me what just stuck out in this story is just how little importance money and possessions can have, once you have enough money to have anything you could ever want.    She had money, but she didn’t have happiness. She had an unhappy short marriage, suitors coming after her only because she was wealthy, and she felt like her money was a “menace to her happiness”.

I’m of the opinion that no matter who you are, you need to find happiness in your faith first, and in your family and friends next.  Putting your faith in things, money and things of this world will lead to nothing but trouble.

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it. – Proverbs 15:16

Have you seen people around you trying to find happiness in money and possessions?  Have you done it yourself?  How can you keep yourself from falling for the honey trap of wealth?

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Last Edited: 15th March 2012 The content of biblemoneymatters.com is for general information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Visitors to biblemoneymatters.com should not act upon the content or information without first seeking appropriate professional advice. In accordance with the latest FTC guidelines, we declare that we have a financial relationship with every company mentioned on this site.

This article is about: Commentary, Money

About Peter Anderson

Peter Anderson is a Christian, husband to his beautiful wife Maria, and father to his 2 children. He loves reading and writing about personal finance, and also enjoys a good board game every now and again. You can find out more about him on the about page. Don't forget to say hi on Pinterest, Twitter or Facebook!

Comments

    Share Your Thoughts: Cancel reply

  1. Kate Kashman says

    This story is so sad. I makes me want to track her down and be her friend, though it sounds like she wouldn’t trust me anyway. I guess the best I can do is pray for her to find some happiness.

    Reply
  2. David/moneycrashers says

    People, experiences and memories–those are the things that true happiness is made of…

    Reply
  3. Maria Rinaldi says

    OK..I READ THE ARTICLE BUT FIND IT HARD TO BE SYMPATHETIC FOR HER. MONEY, A NICE HOME ARE IMPORTANT, BUT NOT EVERYTHING…THERE WERE OTHER THINGS SHE COULD HAVE DONE TO FIND HAPPINESS IN HER LIFE. I AM 60 YRS OLD, HAVE HAD MY LOVELY HOME FOR SALE FOR 2 YRS….AND I NEED TO SELL! IF I HAD MONEY, IT WOULD NOT BE A HUGE BURDEN IN MY LIFE…SO UNLESS ANYONE OUT THERE WANTS TO BUY A NICE HOME AT LESS THAN WHAT I PAID FOR IT 5 YRS AGO…I CANNOT SUM UP SYMPATHY FOR HER..LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT AND MONEY HELPS. IT PROVIDES FOR MANY THINGS INCLUDING GOOD HEALTH CARE!

    Reply
  4. Elsbeth says

    I bet a lot of folks want to “track her down and be her friend”, how about respecting this woman’s wish for privacy, she is indeed a sad person whose wealth did not bring her happiness. We can however allow her to be left in peace and comfort and pray that every red cent be left to abused and needy children so that they may have a safe place to grow and be productive happy people in society.

    Reply
    • Kim says

      Where did you get from that article that she wanted to be left alone and was in peace and comfortable? How do you know that she isnt still longing for friendship and happiness? People always want happiness even if they have given up on trying to find it. It would behoove me as a Christian to befriend anyone I knew of that was unhappy and needed to be a friend. Frankly, I applaud her for not idolizing money. There is more to life than money, granted it does make it easier, but then again who says life is supposed to be easy. The harder your life the less you take for granted. I would be honored to be allowed to be her friend if only for the brief period of life she has left. She has got to have wonderful tales of old and I am sure she is a wonderful person to get to know. She has character and morals which is more than I can say for most people.

      Reply
  5. Rin says

    Yeah ppl want to be friends with her for money. If assuming she is kind then it is bad if that is the only reason, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise when much of the world is scraping to get by and others are just plain greedy. Perhaps she has lost her will to live too. I wish her some happiness that can reach her inner soul because though she is rich, she isn’t happy and to me that is a kind of hell all on its own.

    Reply
  6. Brent Pittman says

    I’m sure you could find thousands of people like her who are ‘rich’, yet unhappy.

    Reply
    • Peter Anderson says

      I think you’re probably right. In some senses I think that a lot of rich folks who thought being rich would make them happier may be even more miserable because now they realize that it doesn’t.

      Reply
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