Hetty Green, aka “The Witch of Wall Street,” walked Manhattan’s streets looking destitute, evoking pity with her stern expression and tattered clothes. Little did the public realize that Hetty was worth $100 to $200 million. In 2023 dollars, that’s $2.69 — $5.38 billion.
Born into wealth, Hetty’s financier father taught her how to manage money from a young age. She thrived when overseeing significant real estate deals, trading railroads, and making shrewd investments. She had great financial success during others’ downfalls, buying depreciating stocks, foreclosing on properties, and holding entire cities hostage through massive loans.
At 33, Hetty married briefly and had two children, who faced great challenges under Hetty’s care. Her daughter, Sylvia, wore second-hand clothes and lived in relative isolation, sleeping next to her mother in a rented room. Her son, Ned, had it worse — when he sustained a severe leg injury, Hetty brought him to a city clinic. When the doctors demanded payment to treat him, she opted to bring him home instead. The untreated injury cost Ned his leg. Hetty’s frugality extended to her own health — she improvising solutions like using a stick to manage a bulging hernia.
Hetty passed away at 81, leaving her vast wealth to her children. Sylvia maintained a modest lifestyle, while Ned, who preserved a substantial fortune until his death in 1936, bequeathing the majority to Sylvia.
When she died in 1951, Sylvia donated most of her $200 million fortune to various charities.