In our society, people who show stingy behavior are often reminded that death is a reality, by saying “the shroud has no pockets”. The purpose is to remind the person who goes beyond frugality that they may be on the wrong track. Being stingy is a behavior that is condemned in many societies. Indeed, there is a line between being thrifty and being stingy.
Today, we will talk with you about the story of Hetty Green, who was officially the most stingy person in the world and the richest woman in the world during her lifetime.
Reading almost broke out in business newspapers
Henrietta Howland Robinson, or Hetty for short, was born in New Bedford, USA in 1834. Hetty, one of the two children of Edward and Abby couple, became the only child of the family with the death of her brother at the age of two.
Hetty met a wealthy family the moment she opened her eyes to the world. His mother was the only daughter of a prominent fishing family, and his father was interested in the economy. His grandfather, with whom he lived, could not see well because he was getting old, and he had 6-year-old Hetty read the news about the economy.
By the age of 13, Hetty had been dealing with so many economic and financial documents that it inevitably gave her a wealth of knowledge, and at the age of 13 she took charge of her family’s accounting.
Painful losses in a row, but also heavy legacies…
Hetty lost her mother when she was 26 years old. Mother Abby, the daughter of a wealthy family, would leave a serious legacy to her daughter and husband. According to the records, the mother left an inheritance of approximately 120 thousand dollars.
With Abby’s legacy, both father and aunt made various investments under Hetty’s direction, but Hetty lost both her aunt and father within 5 years. Hetty inherited approximately $11 million from these two.
Smart steps made Hetty even richer
Hetty has been involved in accounting since the age of 13 with her outstanding financial skills; At the age of 31, she also controlled a huge fortune of her own. On the one hand, he gave loans to important institutions and investors with interest, on the other hand, he made investments in businesses that he saw as guarantees.
Could Hetty be the architect of the marriage contract?
Hetty had met a wealthy gentleman named Edward Green, but she wasn’t sure about marriage. Would her fortune be damaged if she married Edward? Could Edward be after Hetty’s fortune? While all these questions were on Hetty’s mind; Hetty and Edward were married after Edward signed a formal agreement that despite the marriage, Edward would not lay claim to Hetty’s fortune.
Hetty may have spent money for the first and last time
Despite the contract between them, Hetty must not have felt comfortable that in the 18th anniversary of their marriage, Edward and Hetty officially They separated but continued to live together.
After this separation, Edward’s business did not go well and he went bankrupt. Even though Hetty paid the $500,000 she had to pay to the bank after the bankruptcy; Hetty never forgave Edward for bankruptcy and left home.
A millionaire who stays in hostels to avoid paying property taxes?
Separated from Edward, Hetty needed to find a place to stay for herself and her two children, but Hetty had never purchased any real estate to avoid paying taxes. She had no intention of buying it, even though she had no place to stay.
The most logical solution, according to Hetty, was to find a cheap hostel. She was one of the few wealthy people in the world, but she spent her life in cheap hostels until her death.
Hetty’s life is nothingness in existence
If you picture Hetty as a rich man living in cheap hostels, you would be making a huge mistake because he He has many other strange choices. For example, she usually prefers to wear black because it stains less. She dresses in so much black that she is referred to by her peers as the Witch of Wall Street.
Despite his huge wealth, he drives an old car, eats at the cheapest restaurants, bargains hard everywhere, never uses brand name products. In short, Hetty is a happy person the less money she spends.
Child lost his leg due to cheaper hospital call
One day, while Hetty is living in a hostel with her two children, her son is injured in his leg. The child needs hospital treatment, but Hetty refuses to pay hospitals. Hetty wants to go to hospitals that provide free health care, but all the hospitals near the hostel where she stays are paid.
They find a free health center a little further away, but it was too late and the leg got gangrene. In pursuit of Hetty’s search for a free hospital, her child’s leg is amputated. Shortly after this event, Hetty is diagnosed with a hernia, but Hetty, who does not want to pay for the surgery, continues her life using a stick.
A death worthy of her name
The richest woman in the world, Hetty, who spent her life with stinginess; At the age of 81, at a market she went to buy milk, she had an argument while bargaining with the cashier because the milk was expensive. During this discussion, she has a heart attack and dies.
With her death, she left a fortune of $200 million (about $6 billion today) to her two children. Both of his children donated their wealth to charities, schools and churches before they died.
Entered the Guinness Book of Records with her stinginess
Having the title of the richest woman in the world during her lifetime, Hetty is the most stingy woman in the Guinness Book of Records. also entered. About Hetty, her close circle also explained that Hetty provided financial aid to families in need, but did not tell anyone because she thought that the aid should be kept confidential.
Hetty’s stories in the cinema
If you want to get to know Hetty Green, who is notorious for her stinginess; You can watch 1931’s The She-Wolf and 1934’s You Can’t Buy Everything.
What do you think about Hetty Green?
Sources: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 /
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