The Mysterious Life of The Millionaire Recluse | Huguette Clark

Welcome to Forgotten Lives! In today's episode we are looking into the life of Huguette Clark, the daughter of a wealthy former politician and entrepreneur who had a troubled later life and was kwnon for her reclusiveness.
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[@08MrPancakes]

She lived the way she wanted to live in introvert heaven and reached the age of a 104 . That’s amazing , way better than the tragic lives of many prominent women who led very public lives, hers sounds peaceful and stress free

[@edp3202]

I agree. Jackie Onassis had a hellacious life and died at 65.

[@Frenchblue8]

You can only do it if you have plenty of money and don't have to work I guess

[@tedoneilclark4710]

@@Frenchblue8 yes servants running after your every wim.

[@penelope-oe2vr]

Sounds amazing to me!

[@VioletJoy]

Maybe I don't remember the details, but it didn't sound stress free to me. She seemed paranoid and lacked true friends. How very sad.

[@ldayco26]

The fact that she donated all her money to charity/friends after her death… she was a sweet lady. Bless her heart.

[@reaceness]

...What else would she have done with it? Been buried with it?

[@redadmiralofvalyria867]

@@reaceness you'd be surprised, there are people in history who either don't think about it or keep their money selfishly in death(meaning they make sure NO ONE can take or use it)

[@reaceness]

@@redadmiralofvalyria867 like the Egyptian Pharaohs!

[@apocyldoomer]

I would be her charity case, haha

[@redadmiralofvalyria867]

@@reaceness.......I guess so 😂🤣😅😆, I'd LITERALLY DIDNT think about it that way

[@shellshell942]

I worked in a nursing home and there were many well off residents that constantly tried to give gifts of jewellery and large amounts of cash. There was a strict policy of accepting no gifts no matter how small because it is far too easy for someone to take advantage of an elderly, lonely or confused resident.

[@magesalmanac6424]

I’m glad to hear of a responsible employer. I hope that’s standard protocol every where. Not to mention, it risks lawsuits where the family could claim abuses later on.

[@shellshell942]

@@magesalmanac6424 As far as I'm aware it is standard practice and part of induction training for all staff. The business could be sued so it is in their interest to make sure everything is above board. I hate to think of people being taken advantage of but I'm sure it happens far too often.

[@cemetree]

Her nurse could because she was paid privately by Hugette, she wasn’t a hospital employee.

[@cemetree]

@@shellshell942 her nurse was not employed by the hospital so she wasn’t bound to policies they may have had on gifting

[@TheSilmarillian]

I also worked in aged care and the rules are the same in Australia for good reason I may add I hated seeing the relatives that never visited suddenly show up on the elderly persons death bed

[@EclecticDD]

I read the biography on Huguette. People committed financial abuse against her. Regardless of how much money she had and how generous she was with it, people took advantage of her.

[@monkeygraborange]

You have no way of knowing that. Money simply functioned differently for her than for most people. You might fault her nurse, but that woman worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for over two decades. The relationship seems symbiotic to me. I think the real parasites were her family, most of which never met her or bothered themselves until they realized she was still alive and still enormously wealthy.

[@deafahrenbruch1055]

Isn't that the way it always is... How sad.

[@moondancer4660]

She sounds like someone who would be easy to take advantage of.

[@tedoneilclark4710]

It had to go to someone. If her family didn't give a toss about her then it's natural to give to those in your life. Remember she was beyond wealthy.

[@multibasking]

you can’t commit financial abuse on a rich person 😂😂

[@crazyphan18]

I have always been utterly fascinated by Huguette Clark most of my life. My hometown of Santa Barbara is the place of one of her abandoned mansions Bellosgaurdo. It was the veritable “house on the Hill” for me, high on a beachside bluff, with a gorgeous bird sanctuary across the road from it. I lived right by it and passed it daily and always wondered what was behind those gates that were always closed. Luck had it that I finally got my curiosity sated when my late mother was able to get me a private tour of the house with the mayor and the local members of the foundation that took over the restoration of the estate, intent on making it into a museum. What a fascinatingly sad life that will forever intrigue me not matter how much I learn about her. There’s a certain kinship I feel with her and her desire and need to stay away from the public eye.

[@cyberpilate]

I feel the same; living in Santa Barbara I was told legendary stories of the painting in Belloguardo that showed her sister's portrait, but updated throughout the years to age with her sister, the dollhouse in the yard that was like a full apartment, the generations of housekeepers who got to live in that beautiful mansion to keep everything just so for Hugette's return that she never made. I am excited to see the museum once it's finalized and envy your chance to see the house just as it was. =)

[@tedoneilclark4710]

Yes she definitely was a very responsible person. And business minded as well. She held onto her wealth all through her entire lifetime.

[@yeseniah7373]

What happened to the mansion? Who inherited it?

[@kenrawsaint7417]

She reminds me of Greta Garbo in her own lane

[@ShastaOrange]

Make it a museum? Sounds like it's always been one.

[@bevygaines]

I love the book, The Phantom of 5th Avenue. The story about her life. Goes into detail of her day to day with the people around her at the hospital.

[@thejudgmentalcat]

I can't really blame her for avoiding people...as I heard in the latest "Murder In the Orient Express": "When you're rich, you don't really have friends"

[@fluffyMajestic]

You think it's right to be "rich" in a world with horrible poverty???

[@thejudgmentalcat]

@@fluffyMajestic why so triggered?

[@dovebarnett6847]

@@fluffyMajestic I think it's no one's business how much money someone has. It's also very selfish and pathetic for you to begrudge someone wealth.

[@thechaz83]

Sadly Poverty never goes away. Human beings are perfect at creating their own hell. What’s the old saying about the devil? “Today he can sit back and watch us destroy ourselves.”

[@artieanderson604]

People are predatory against other people whether the victim is rich or poor. They will rob a person's last $5.00 as easily as they will rob $5 Million dollars that probably wouldn't be missed or noticed by an extremely wealthy person if they get the chance. The issue isn't wealth or poverty; the issue is a person's character, the opportunity available, and the twisted psychology of the thief. Taking the $5.00 from a poor man probably hurts more because the person holding it probably needs it and it is an unprosecutable "crime" because it falls below the threshold of minimum criminality...but it is still a crime. Taking the $5M may hurt a person but it can be recovered, at least in part, through legal remedies if and when the theft is discovered because it is large enough to be recognized as a crime.The holder of the $5.00 has no legal recourse; consequently, it is far safer to rob a man of his last dollar than it is to benefit from planning "extravagant" theft of excess funds/holdings. Corporations, government entities, and televangelists do it all the time and get very rich in the process...societal shakedown of the working poor. It is the mindset of a thief not the depth of the victim's pockets that matters here.

[@brendaholliday6866]

This was a very intriguing story about wealthy heiress, Huguette Clark. She was right to be cautious about people especially having inherited a vast financial fortune, because it becomes a question of who really is " loyal " to you. Great investigating, presentation and photos, too.

[@CindyLouWho77]

This is a beautifully made video, and you talked about your eccentric topic (Huguette) with kindness and grace. Only because I am a pedantic long-time resident of NYC, I just want to correct one small, insignificant detail; Beth Israel Hospital is not anywhere near Central Park; though Huguette’s well-appointed hospital quarter did overlook Stuyvesant Park, which is small but quite pretty. I was admitted and put on the floor below hers, and there was always a buzz about the eccentric, very wealthy woman with a phenomenal 5th Avenue apartment who had been living in the hospital for years, right above our floor. Unfortunately and very sadly, the park is now mostly home to addicts who want to be near the hospital in case they overdose. It’s quite grim, though it’s better Huguette enjoyed her little oasis outside of the window before it began to have its present issues.

[@nonprofitgirl]

I really appreciate how much heartfelt research went into this. Her dad was almost 70 when she was born? Oh man...

[@here_we_go_again2571]

Her father was born in 1839. His first wife died in 1893. He remarried in 1901. Huguette's older sister, Andrée was born in 1902 (d. 1919) Huguette was born in 1906. William A. Clark donated 135 acres to the Girl Scouts for Camp Andree Clark (it is still in operation) In his later years (after handing over the businesses to his sons) he was a generous benefactor to several causes.

[@pixiestyx1766]

Thank you so much for recognizing Hughette Clark. She is one of my favorite people to study. She was an accomplished musicians and artist. She owned a Stradivarius violin that she gave as a gift to someone. As a child she started collecting dolls and continued to collect almost until the day of her passing. Upon her death they were a auctioned off for a small fortune. Clark County in Nevada is named after her father. Honestly, there are wonderful articles written about this amazing woman and available online and KZbin. She is proof that all the money in the world will not buy happiness. Thank you again for this video.

[@tedoneilclark4710]

How do you know that she was not happy. Were you with her everyday of her life 😀

[@lovesyah4618]

@Pixie Stix, According to the Today Show report by Jeff Rosen 2 Attorneys stole the violin. Report also said 19 family members were fueding over her estate.

[@pixiestyx1766]

@@tedoneilclark4710 I suggest you read her life story. There are many fascinating articles available online and of course, through books which you can purchase.

[@7EmpathicBeauty]

As a person that has been called a recluse multiple times... there's a way the world is seen by a person like this. It's less focus on surface things and more importance on how genuine the heart is at a specific point in time. If it continues w/o an abusing motive, that makes (me at least) want to give you more of what is valuable to you (it appears she did the same).

[@cemetree]

Oh she spent plenty as well as gifted plenty. She bought thousands of dolls and doll items as well as commissioned very intricate doll houses all from her hospital room. She had designers like Dior make clothing for her dolls

[@frankboff1260]

Sounds like she had a great life!

[@7EmpathicBeauty]

​@@cemetree 😂 Nobody is perfect lol. We should always expect some flaws.

[@7EmpathicBeauty]

​@@frankboff1260 LOL I mean, a great life is relative but for her to have fear of people and the hospital in her later life...that's extreme. Her younger years seem fine to me. Extroverts usually find reclusive behavior weird *cough cough* in my experience 😂.

[@frankboff1260]

@@7EmpathicBeautyyes the fear of the hospital was pretty extreme.

[@ZiaRDS]

She seemed to be a relatively happy woman, not to mention unselfish with her money, not pursuing an endless quest for more, which is rare for someone with so much wealth. She minded her business and treated those around her and who/whatever she cared for, with kindness and generosity, based on these accounts. I honestly think she won at life.

[@melindawakley7859]

As I’ve read Empty Mansions, the large biography of Hugette Clarke, let me assure ppl, it’s not that her family did NOT visit her, I refer specifically who was left after her parents and sister died. Hugette refused all her many many family members requests to visit. She had a niece who could only phone Hugette at her highrise apartment and arrange to wave at her from the street at a particular time . She did this routine with a lot of family. Some family members on her step siblings side DID want to care for her. She refused all of them. And quite frankly the decedents of her step siblings WERE entitled to her money upon her death. Nope other ppl, who proved to be blatant goldiggers. Hadassah Peri, the hospital nurse who managed to extract millions out of Hugette over 20 years. Was a money grubbing Con Artist. Who blocked Hugette’s relatives deliberately when they turned up to try and see Hugette at the hospital. Ask yourself what kind of registered nurse would do that. Thankfully the family later sued Hadassah Peri and got some of the 30 million she stole off Hugette back. Most of what she got she spent on luxury cars, realestate and assets for her kids. She was a very smart sociopathic golddigger. How she got away with it as a professional registered nurse in that hospital astounds me. I suggest ppl genuinely interested read Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman. He was an NBC investigative journalist who found out and proved the actual facts about Hugette and her strange life. And that of her family and their descendants.

[@kristinav6366]

Wow thank you so much for this information, I will definitely check the book👍👍

[@Missditabomb]

Many of Barbara Hutton's private nurses did the same to her. Very sad.

[@rosenars6665]

Thank you

[@melindawakley7859]

@Missditabomb . Wow I didn’t know that about Barbara Hutton. Jus goes to prove u can trust no one when u are filthy rich. Especially when u are old.

[@cocoaddams4502]

i'm not sure if that's the book I read about her but yes, that's true. You have to wonder what kind of dark soul Hadassah had to look at a woman so in need and take advantage of her over and over.

[@MarzannaMorana]

There's NOTHING wrong with being a recluse, especially when you're wealthy. People only want to use and abuse you anyways. She sounds like she had a great life, especially back in those days!!! She was VERY lucky.

[@tedoneilclark4710]

The press will say anything to make someone of her statute unfortunate in some kind of way. She lived in a ginormous mansion surrounded by servants or should I say staff.

[@VioletJoy]

@@tedoneilclark4710 That doesn't mean she was happy. It's really sad how wealthy people are often viewed with such a lack of concern and sympathy.

[@fashionistalagerfeld1954]

I am a recluse, worked all my life . I do not want to see anyone or care what anyone is doing from my life. I don’t have to pretend that I like anyone and play the game of life and Corporate America as it was exhausting . Planned my retirement in my 20’s and kept it that way my whole life that I hated ! I am happy now , I can be myself and say what I want to . I only go out to see doctor appointments and I even hate that. But it’s all good.

[@tedoneilclark4710]

I think that really being a recluse is not a lifestyle choice. It's just something that life bestows on someone, part of the journey in life destiny ect. Though people don't have to be that way all the time. Some are deemed to be. This person was very privileged though.

[@tedoneilclark4710]

Perhaps she sneeked out of the mansion at night and attended parties ect😀

[@kimberlypatton9634]

A very private and beautiful lady...I wish for her nothing but peace and serenity..hopefully looking down upon her beloved Central Park!

[@batturiebunnie6460]

my day has been blessed with an upload

[@michellel564]

The court should have taken into account that the woman's family was nowhere to be found for many many years and her servants were her family that's why she changed that will I don't blame her

[@penelope-oe2vr]

I dont either!

[@Dion-rz3fz]

I dont quite understand how the courts can make a decision like they did. Without proof of some kind that there was attempt to steel the inheritance out from under the relatives by the servants, how can the court justify honoring the earlier one? Seems logical that she just decided to leave her money to those who took care of her. Of course no one will ever really know. I just thought a will was more iron clad than that and dont understand how it can be contested without some proof of malice.

[@littlebigeyes3096]

I just want to say thank you so, so much for this video. I am dealing with some similar (though def not the same) issues currently that Huguette dealt with and I must say that it is extremely isolating, lonely, and alienating and I cannot begin to imagine how difficult some things must've been for her. Of course, in many ways, any wealth like hers is a privilege, but it can also, of course, have its downsides and society and people don't understand nor want to understand this mostly. Everybody can have issues in life and struggle. Especially since when someone is wealthy, genuine connections/compassion from others and friends are very difficult near impossible to come by. This video helped me feel significantly less alone. Thank you, truly.

[@Eg-wo4cg]

You can always give up your wealth to others problem solved ✌️

[@magesalmanac6424]

I hope you find the peace and solace you need 💕

[@littlebigeyes3096]

@@Eg-wo4cg I have...the problem does not end there I assure you it just adds other problems sadly. it does help the world and make me feel better and also it was nowhere near Huguette's.

[@littlebigeyes3096]

@@magesalmanac6424 truly, thank you so much. That means the world and beyond to me.

[@fauxpinkytoo]

There will always be people to whom money means little. Rare, but they do exist. The key to a happy life is to open yourself to the treasure of love and companionship. Isolation is the saddest kind of existence, no matter one's financial circumstances. Never be afraid to reach out to others, not all people will have your best interests at heart, but an open mind and heart is an excellent guide to finding a community of friends. I wish you every happiness.

[@carolannemckenzie3849]

This was so fascinating that I just had to buy the biography of Miss Clark, Empty Mansions. Hurray for Ebay! And thank you to FL for all your hard work!

[@genxx2724]

I’m trying to read it and it’s just not grabbing me. I find it a plodding recounting of facts. You?

[@carolannemckenzie3849]

Still reading it. Will let you know when I'm finished 😁

[@afroatheist-isnowafroantit6154]

I think she was smart. Why did she have to have a husband, and children? I think she had a strong character.

[@mkervelegan]

True to details and told with the utmost sensitivity and tact for Huguette’s life choices.

[@pinksugarcookies71]

I really admire her. She gave people Money that she cared for or could help. The servants that maintained her homes did a great service and not have the homes let to rot. She was right to not trust many people. I don’t think she was eccentric, I think she was accurate in her mistrust.

[@LJB103]

I agree with what you say, but read "Empty Mansions" and you are led to believe that her nurse and family really took advantage of Huguette. Like dropping a hint: "my son wants to go to college, but we just can't afford it." Guess who paid for the school. The nurse's husband was a cab driver who had a Bentley for his own use; not something purchased with a cabbie's income.

[@toniremer1594]

I kindof had the feeling that the nurse, along with the other people, conned their way into getting her money. Every single time that there's a lot of money involved, after someone's passing, family members and friends come out of the woodwork with their hands outstretched, and dollar signs in their eyes. In fact, where were her extended family when Huguette was in the hospital? Did any of them visit Huguette? This is what my great-grandpa did with his Last Will and Testament, and it was absolutely brilliant: in his Last Will and Testament, he had 2 sons -- my grandpa and great-uncle, and to ensure that there wasn't any contesting it, he had left my great-uncle $1, and the rest to my grandpa. Maybe Huguette SHOULD have done something like that, and then her extended family wouldn't have won the case. I highly doubt the judge would've ruled in their favor. I do wholeheartedly believe that they were greedy, and wanted every single penny that they could get their greedy paws on. They COULD have allowed the nurse to keep the $30M, since that was just a drop in the bucket. I can only imagine her rolling in her proverbial grave with how greedy her extended family became after her passing.

[@kinziek3190]

Huguette was exceptionally close to her mother Anna. Anna came from hardscrabble beginnings in the western mining camps. She met her husband as a 17 year old in Butte, MT. Clark's children from the first marriage did not giver her mother the time of day, especially the two older daughters did not treat Anna well. I think that hurt Huguette very much so she really did not want to keep in touch them. Except a nephew Paul and the children of her oldest brother who was married to the very rich Cecile Tobin (of Tobin Mansion and Hibernian Bank in San Francisco). She was quoted as saying of her siblings "they got their share of father's fortune".

[@tedoneilclark4710]

I think that she was deemed reclusive by her family for avoiding them.

[@genxx2724]

@@kinziek3190 I don’t blame the children of a first marriage for not recognizing their parents’ subsequent marriages and children. They shouldn’t have to suffer the destruction of their nuclear family and their home being dismantled.

[@genxx2724]

I don’t blame the children of a first marriage for not recognizing their parents’ subsequent marriages and children. They shouldn’t have to suffer the destruction of their nuclear family and their family home being dismantled. In this case, however, the father treated all of his children equally in his will. They received their shares. There was no justification for them or their offspring to go after her share when she died.

[@here_we_go_again2571]

F.L. thank you for your tempered and well-researched biography of Huguette Clark. 👍😊

[@ForgottenLives]

Any time!

[@Elke-j8m]

Absolutely great presentation video, always neat and polite. Thank you FLives!

[@NoName-us7wn]

Enjoying your videos. Thank you for posting them. It's always interesting finding out interesting facts about people that were lost to time.

[@dolsiemercado3140]

Wow. No nurse or aide can receive a gift in that large sum of money. Amazing how she didn’t have a single family member that cared enough to take care of her at her own home.

[@genericrobin6597]

She was not neglected and employed a great many people all over the world. Because her father was 70 at the time of her birth, many of the inheritors were 2nd generation descendants who never knew she existed.

[@queenofsheba7145]

@dolsie- That's a good point you brought up. That is so sad she had no immediate family to take care of her at home. She should have had kids. My Mom is 77 and is still very independent. I go visit her every week,and so does my brother. My Mom told us none of her neighbors (who are her age), children ever visit them, and don't even call them. So sad 😔

[@christopherellis2663]

Fabulous wealth allows one great leeway, yet she seems to have been responsible with it. There is only so much money that one can use

[@magesalmanac6424]

Agreed, she spent lavish sums on dolls and art, and yet was a philanthropist too. I think it was expected of them back in the old days. I don’t think the wealthy of today feel so inclined to support the arts or charities.

[@tamathalamb9193]

He says reclusive as if it’s a disease! The older I get the less I want to be around people ! I don’t blame her.

[@eh-i1841]

I was widowed 17 years ago,after 35 years together.I loved him,but now,I love living alone.I love having visits from the kids and grandkids,and having a nice social life,but I could never share my space,full time,again.

[@annehelene70]

I am always so fascinated of all the different people that you talk about in your videos. It's so interesting to learn about all these different people that I have never heard about. You do such amazing research. So thank you for another great video 👏👏😃😃. Greetings from Norway 🤗😃

[@jaytrace1006]

How much did her “family” come visit her? I’m gonna say none.

[@rosenars6665]

Someone posted about a book that details she turned down visits from her fam and declined when they wanted to take care of her. I have to do my own research so see why but they did make efforts to visit her. Supposedly the nurse was a con artist so were many other people in her life. Also she would deny access from fam.

[@fredericmartin7148]

I have just discovered this very interesting channel, Forgotten Lives. It also serves to remind me that, at 77, I will soon be dead and forgotten myself ... not that I ever accomplished anything to be remembered for, nor do I have any descendants to fight over my pitifully small 'estate.'

[@lalocaca650]

lol

[@GladysAlicea]

I'll be 70 in July, and except for a little tiredness and minor health issues, I don't look or feel my age. I'm alone a lot, because of bad experiences in my 40's that never should've happened. I'm just like you though, although as I get older, I contemplate what I would be doing if I hadn't had a traumatic experience that changed my life, but I can't complain. Most people who'd suffered what I did would be dead or homeless. I'm told I'm a strong person, so maybe that's it. I hope you feel well. God bless.

[@quiickdraw]

I did some light googling on her bird sanctuary. Seems like a wonderful part of the community and amazing for the wildlife. After all her magnitude of treasures and properties were sold, it's good to see one of her contributions flourishing still today.

[@elizabethschreffler9182]

Huguette Clark was a lovely and generous woman. She loved helping others as much as she could. She did have some very loyal people in her life which included her staff. Most of the family she had left she was not close to. I understand she trusted very few people.

[@elizabethwallace7495]

Fascinating! Absolutely fascinating! Thank you so much for your efforts to bring these obscure stories to life.

[@emily7195]

I have a hermit condition it's a personality disorder called schizoid. I don't want or need anyone. It isn't because I have social anxiety or anything, I just don't want or need anyone. I love being alone with my thoughts, I love being by myself, I love being me, alone. People disrupt my alone time and I don't like that, my brain obsessively just wants to be alone. I do have friends, I am an interesting person, but other than that I don't know why they bother. My closest friend says she would never fall out with me because of the effort she put into getting to know me, it just wouldn't be worth it 🙈 I don't get suicidal, instead I get insatiable urges to throw some clothes of a bridge and find a cave to dwell in. If I won the lottery I would never leave my Palace, ever!

[@LJB103]

William Clark's NYC mansion was only the largest between the 1926 demolition of the 156 room Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion and its own demolition in 1927. The photo of Beth Israel Deaconess Med Ctr you show is in Boston, MA, not NYC. Her nurse's husband was a cab driver who drove a Bentley on his days off! After reading "Empty Mansions" I can only suspect that the nurse and her family took egregious advantage of Huguette, but they got away with it. Very good video.

[@trj1442]

Another excellent episode. Thankyou for your awesome content.

[@DaisyVonKruger]

Love your channel , thank you for the hard work, Ch

[@VesperR8]

Interesting story of this eccentric millionaire. It’s amazing that she managed to live that long into her later years. That nurse sure is lucky nonetheless, she made it out big.

[@ednacolcord4413]

Her family showed the greed as much as those who did help her in age. Human nature in its most avaricious .

[@dianesavant2818]

I don't believe her family deserved the money. I believe she changed her will to give and help others as she had done all her life. JMO

[@cemetree]

They really didn’t. The ones who got it had never met her and were relatives of her half siblings from her father’s first marriage

[@selmahare]

Nonetheless they were still relatives and the law is the law. In most countries in Europe your money goes automatically to your relatives, whether you want it or not, and the law is the law. You can write whatever you want in testament, but if they contest it, they get it, always and without fail. I would personally always leave some money to my relatives, even the ones that I don’t know. Why not!? They’re just as good as the next person and are my relatives on top of it, we share blood and ancestry, leaving them money to potentially help improve their lives makes every sense to me. When you have the amount of money that she had there’s more than enough to go around for both relatives and caretakers. It would have made no sense for her to leave her relatives totally out, which is why I don’t think she did. Her nurse was obviously a con artist, got millions from her while she was alive and in a fragile position, in her care, and had her sign a New Testament. The judge saw through it after the relatives rightfully contested, because it’s not hard to see. That nurse was obviously an opportunist.

[@cherylcallahan5402]

*Forgotten lives 1906 Huguette Clark appreciate your videos Listening 🌟 from Mass USA TYVM 💙*

[@cypher7648]

I really love hearing these stories. You narration is impeccable and I have never even heard about these people before. Thank you again for bringing these people back to life for us!!! Great channel, keep up the great work!!2👌👍🙏🙏❤✌

[@cydkriletich6538]

Sad story. At least she was apparently taken care of during her last couple of decades. I would like to see you do a video on the life of Hetty Green, aka “The Witch of Wall Street.” Very interesting and strange life. Thank you. New subscriber!

[@cindydufala7646]

Wonder how much the attorneys got and the State of NY. Her dad was a wealthy politician. Always makes me wonder how these people truly got insanely rich.

[@DaisyVonKruger]

Thanks

[@reneejones7807]

Excellent research and presentation. Glad I found your channel; you have a gift for this!

[@robertdudley4017]

A lovely beautiful lady, sadly her life wasn't how it should have been, by being rich meant she didn't have many real friends, she gave money to many people and distant family and many donations to charity etc, she lived her life as she wanted to, I can't blame her for that she deserved far better from life. Thank you as always on this ladie's life.

[@judysanchez6329]

Generous Lady When we die we Don't take valuables except the Happiness 😊 You left in people's ❤❤❤

[@thechaz83]

If you think about it Huguette Clark can be considered a saint. God blessed her with an insane amount of money and material comfort. What did she do? Instead of constructing an idol for herself she blessed the world with her wealth. What a soul!! 😎

[@cadillacdeville5828]

Good afternoon 😊 and thank-you 😊

[@a.urbanchuk513]

She lived the life she wanted. That in it's self if the greatest gift of all

[@giaatta9303]

Your episodes are well researched. Thank you

[@FayeLawnKrack3d]

This woman lived the life indeed 🙌

[@nicolaswaters4130]

Amazing work 👌

[@nancyschumacher8940]

Interesting! Thanks for putting this out.

[@moondancer4660]

I've been binge watching this channel for hours!

[@you2angel1]

My grandmother did it right, she kept in contact with all of us °~•.♡.•~°

[@SmilerORocker]

She is the influencer people should emulate... She did her thing and kept quiet about it.

[@Sandra-ww6oz]

How very interesting Thankyou for your major efforts with research. I bet there’s numerous stories like this across America given the vast wealth amassed by savvy business types in the 19th and early 20th Centuries.

[@Lucien-bs1wj]

A truly interesting and tragic life, a lot is so sad, but she did have the good taste to acquire the gorgeous Central Park garden view, nicely done.

[@kaarlimakela3413]

This is a brilliant unique channel. Always hits me in the feels ...

[@kylierobsoncollins6036]

I really enjoyed this. I believe she did want those around her in her actual daily life to benefit from her will. They were the ones to keep her wishes alive during her life and her family were nowhere to be seen.

[@ladyhonor822]

RN CCRN. ❤

[@louisedole7179]

Very interesting story and life of these people who were all part of the industrial barons of that era. Copper was prevalent and mined in the western states and still is. I'm assuming that Clark County Nevada was named after the Father, which is where Las Vegas is.

[@Carolbearce]

Wow, this was very interesting. I can understand where the family was coming from but really, why wouldn’t she give her money to those that took care of her. Where was the family when she was alive?

[@millardfillmore241]

Her family also founded the Los Angeles Philharmonic and have a mausoleum on an island in Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

[@cemetree]

I wonder why they have a mausoleum in Hollywood when Hugette’s parents were buried in a mausoleum in Forest Hills Cemetery in New York

[@danysanerd2383]

@@cemetree that was my question!

[@millardfillmore241]

@@cemetree Not all of the family lived in New York. Her older brother lived in Los Angeles where he founded the LA Philharmonic and left a library to UCLA. The family also owned an estate in Santa Barbara. They have had a long connection to Los Angeles.

[@bobbyrutherford9359]

It was great to see that Forgotten Lives uploaded another great case

[@lllowkee6533]

These stories are so interesting , thank you..

[@rychei5393]

Had a brother in-law who did inveigle everything to himself, once he had close access to his declining post stroke father. He disinherited everyone but himself... claiming a special private verbal promise of his to support that 'family' post his father's death. A bunch of self serving BS. The man like to think of himself as the gift to the 'family', subsuming a patriarchal role. He's actually just appalling, controlling and self important.

[@matthewwaters5317]

Fascinated story, brilliantly told, TY

[@aprilmorrison9627]

A very interesting life....Yes. well told too in this video. I'd like to know where her other paintings ended up.....

[@ellamaeloftus3493]

In some states, Health professionals are not allowed to accept gifts from patience by law. Being a nurse it isn't uncommon to have patients and loved ones offer gifts.

[@you2angel1]

This one hit close to home. Kind of a unique surprise 😸 I live in Wyoming I voted for Mrs. Cheney °~•.☆.•~°

[@normajeancaballero7959]

Huguette Clark was a very generous and gentle woman. She lived life in her best way. 🙏😄🙏😄🙏😄🙏😄🙏😄🙏😄🙏😄🙏😄🙏

[@useridgaf-p6b]

Her step-brothers and sisters did not like her or her mother (even though her father married her mother after the death of his first wife). Her extended family could not be bothered with her until they found out how much she was worth and the fact they were not getting it. They had a family meeting to plot how to get it. They even tried to sue her for control of her money while she was still alive because they felt she was not spending it correctly. She left the money to those who took care of her and visited her every day. The family who didn't bother with her contested it with a judge with sympathetic leanings towards them and won.

[@simonaxlz]

Sounds like she lead exactly the life she wanted. I don’t see anything wrong with being a recluse. I’m glad for her. I love that she kept paying the staff of the two houses. Although I can’t imagine how strange and odd it had to be 😂

[@rosenars6665]

I know lol

[@here_we_go_again2571]

@ simonaclutter-tudosanu9235 I am guessing that her relatives (she had 8 siblings) and the lawyers overseeing the estates must have visited once in awhile. It is not unusual for lawyers who handle large trusts to visit and stay to "inspect" (vacation at) the properties. Then they charge the estate for the food that they ate, the transportation expenses, etc.. Keeping the staff on prevents break-ins and also prevents the property from becoming run-down.

[@sqrd3536]

The family members who felt entitled to her will and yet had never laid eyes on her for years. They are the number one cons. She died without them being involved in her life but they ultimately wanted all from her inheritance. That's greed for you, it knows no bounds. In fact the most sucessful and rich acquire a lot of frenemies as people like you for what they can get from being associated with you yet care nothing for you.

[@Flymeonthebreeze]

She lived the way she wanted to live, not the way her rich society associates thought she should. She disappeared from the people she knew probably because she didn’t like them and wanted nothing to do with them anymore. As far as her second will, she left money to those people that cared for her, they were her friends and new family. This is what happens when you hire people to provide you long term care. Her care givers were with her for over 20 years. Her relatives, I’d bet the farm when was in the hospital not once did they visit her, or send a card, or flowers.

[@noregrets7469]

My dad used to say, naked I was born and when I die naked I will go. I often wondered when I was a kid what he meant by that though with time things do become clear. You can’t take it with you and no matter how you bequeath your estate there is no assurance that your wishes will be followed. So in the end you take absolutely nothing…

[@hkbabel]

Thank you so much for sharing Hugette's story

[@hrwhitney7567]

I have something in common with her. I am a recluse. I have not been out of the house for about 2 months. I only go out to see one of my doctors. I do not like being around other people. Got to go to my doctor in September.

[@judyedwards5237]

I’m sorry to hear that, we tend to get like that as we age I know and I’m right there with you.My heart goes out to you.

[@leesakrall6592]

Great story!

[@ktkt9982]

Fascinating.

[@vintage-sq8tg]

Loved the book: Empty Mansions

[@eh-i1841]

I just can’t imagine a nurse,being allowed to accept any gifts,let alone what amounted to $60 million dollars,over time.

[@delicourgames8041]

I strongly believe in keeping family inheritance within the family, too many times someone gets close to the benefactor for selfish reasons.

[@kendralynn897]

Most of that family never even met her or hadn’t seen her since the 50’s!!

[@lindakay9552]

This story has me extremely curious. I have a DNA match to an ancestor named Clark. Pickett, Haggin, and Miner are the Surnames associated with my Clark ancestor.

[@GladysAlicea]

I'd be curious if I were you. Why not find out?

[@karaamundson3964]

How did she live for so long? Money and trinkets are one thing but health and happiness are much harder to come by.

[@lovesyah4618]

I saw part of her story on the Today Show years ago and it's a fascinating one. It was told much differently though.Jeff Rosen did the story.

[@honeybadgergrrl77]

Imagine spending your career working in a gorgeous estate, but never seeing the owners, or even knowing where they are. Wild.

[@kjohnson8483]

that sounds like a dream job id go to work clean a little, read books, and nap

[@Rockierambo1]

I am an only child with no direct heirs. I wouldn’t think of leaving $1 to any of my surviving relatives - mostly cousins that are worthless. Just be sure your have an iron clad will that your relatives can’t challenge

[@spinstercatlady]

I mean, I'd certainly rather bequeath my fortune to those who had been nearest and dearest to me like my nurse and employees than have it given to extended relatives that I'd never even met 🤷‍♀️

[@foxworthhall726]

She gave her money to people she loved and cared about. Read the book Empty Mansions about her life it is a great read!

[@kaidgardner2922]

This story intrigued me. I felt so sad for her.

[@OnlyLoveCan38]

I bet none of those so called relatives visit her nor sincerely care about her at all. Her long time nurse spent her life with her. It was her money and she could give it to anyone she wanted! Greedy relatives who feel privileged and entitled to get money that was not theirs.

[@lesliesolomon4220]

In February 1990 I spent 10 days in Doctor's Hospital for an illness. It cost $1,000 per day for the room alone. Doctors' fees, medicine, treatments were tacked on as extra.

[@zero_bs_tolerance8646]

What a lonely life. Thank you for the video.

[@savannahelouisa]

Is this a story about me if I were rich?! I 100% would be giving loads of money to people for random jobs they did, loads to my friends so they could have a better life and would be more reclusive than I currently am

[@debbiepotter4592]

That’s why people like you and I would never be rich. Because we would give it all away