Comments on: The Story of Heiress Huguette Clark

By: J. Money

J. Money — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 17:36:04 +0000

True true – the story above doesn’t say it all, but I’m fairly certain in the other articles it said she was depressed a lot. Could be wrong though – no shame in wanting to be more secluded if it’s what you truly want!

Love your site btw – great concept and designs :)

By: Frugal Fries

Frugal Fries — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 01:19:12 +0000

I don’t want to be that guy (erm, gal) but, who said she was unhappy? I don’t see how this is definitive proof that she was living as a depressed old shrew. Some people really do enjoy their privacy. I did some research on this enigmatic character, and it turns out she is quoted as saying that “money is a menace to happiness.” Though I don’t know if this alone really states much about her level of happiness.

It was also cited that she found difficulty trusting people, so she opted for a private life with a small group of close friends.

Both her accountant and attorney sound dodgy as heck though.

I have no idea why I am defending a deceased person’s happiness, but I am tired of people describing wealth as though it were being weighed against happiness. One doesn’t always directly affect the other.

By: J. Money

J. Money — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 14:43:01 +0000

@Dollar D @ The Dollar Disciple – I know :(
@Autumn – You have a great life over there, soak it all in! :)
@savvyfinanciallatina – Yes! Awesome one indeed – I like that :) Thanks for passing it along.
@SansMoneyStress – Oh yeah, for sure – I love how she gets you to stop and think for a bit. Glad you enjoyed it :)
@Finance my Money – I think you raise some excellent points here, my friend. Never heard of that quote before either, I enjoy seeing new ones :) Thanks for the comment!

By: Finance my Money

Finance my Money — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 07:19:03 +0000

“Shirtsleeves to shirt sleeves in three generations”

When our system rewards through entrepreneurial spirits we find that it is very hard to maintain the momentum and hunger of someone “coming up from nothing” and rising from the ashes and having this same fire carried on to their children. It is simply a rule of human nature and the quote above is apt and found in so many cultures as to shed some truth on its universality. The above case speaks to this.

I’m sure everyone here has read The Millionaire Next Door and one of the prominent statistics shows that most American millionaires are first generation millionaires. Of course, the big big money has different stories but those stuffing away and making it on their own usually work more than your typical 8 to 5 schedule. They are usually thinking, planning, and desiring the freedom that comes from financial independence. Do the kids carry this same fire? Not always.

By: SansMoneyStress

SansMoneyStress — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 02:28:03 +0000

Thanks for this post! It’s very thoughtful. The story is great but I especially appreciate your last paragraph about considering what you want from money. Everyone knows that they want it. Not everyone makes a thoughtful plan about how they will/should use it.

By: savvyfinanciallatina

savvyfinanciallatina — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 01:11:29 +0000

Love this post! I actually posted a quote on my wall from Dale Carnegie that relates to this post.
“Happiness doesn’t depend on any external conditions — it is governed by your mental attitude.” -Carnegie
I have to remind myself of this when I get down. Life is what you make of it!

By: Autumn

Autumn — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 18:49:47 +0000

I think that this is an excellent example of how money cannot buy happiness. I may not be a billionaire, but I have a wonderful partner, three beautiful children and a group of family and friends that are a blessing daily. I feel very sorry for her and I hope that she is at peace now because it sounds like those that she did trust to take care of her weren’t that trustworthy after all.

By: Dollar D @ The Dollar Disciple

Dollar D @ The Dollar Disciple — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:35:47 +0000

Wow, that’s really sad… so much money and no one to enjoy it with!

By: J. Money

J. Money — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:01:11 +0000

@Alex – Heck yeah! Just a crazy situation altogether for her – who knows what was really going on throug her head :(
@BrokeElizabeth – I know, I don’t think she was :( Which is incredibly interesting considering the amount of money she had!
@Michelle – A perfect example of that too. This stuff fascinates the pants off of me.
@Money Infant – Yeah, perhaps? Maybe she liked living on the down low :)

By: Money Infant

Money Infant — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:56:06 +0000

The thing that I wonder about is why she didn’t simply hire medical staff to take care of her in her home on 5th Avenue? With her money she could have hired full time doctors and nurses and purchased whatever other equipment she might have needed. Strange and sad story, though who knows maybe she was quite content and happy with her life.