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Who was Hetty Green?
In 1864, Hetty Green, the 'Witch of Wall Street' inherited 1 million dollars from her father when she was 30 years old. Hetty, who could read the financial pages when she was 6 years old, didn't hesitate to exercise her aggressive style with her newfound riches. She increased here fortune by investing in Civil War Bonds when everyone else shunned them. She played the market with a skill unequaled by today's modern moneymakers. But while other aristocrats of her day spent their money languishly, Hetty held on to her hard-earned riches with an iron fist.
Hetty Green gained her nickname, the Witch of Wall Street from her fellow investors who often chuckled when Hetty arrived in her usual garb - a long, black 'dress' and solid black petticoat. Hetty's thriftiness caused her to rarely wash the dress, except occasionally the hem that drug the ground.
Her Life
While the other investment bankers worked in large, lavish offices, Hetty worked on a lone floor of a bank, and only because the bank graciously offered her free space. For lunch, she drug a ham sandwich out of her grubby coat pocket.
She married only to prevent her relatives from inheriting her riches. Once, when her son suffered a bad sledding accident, Hetty tried to have him admitted in a charity ward. When she was recognized, she stormed away vowing to treat the wounds herself. The wounds eventually turned gangrenous and her son, Ned, had to have his leg amputated.
Her Death
Hetty finally died in 1916 of a stroke suffered while engaged in a heated argument with her maid over the price of milk. She left over 100 million dollars to her two children. |