Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune, by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell

Family

Others

W. A. Clark – born in southwestern PA Kate – first wife Children: Charlie W. A. Jr. or Will May (Mary) Katherine   Anna – second wife Andree – died age 16 Huguette   Bill Gower – Huguette’s husband – divorced   Etienne de Villermont – closest male friend Elisabeth – wife Marie-Christine – adopted daughter   Nineteen relatives who contested will   Properties owned: Mansion – NY - Fifth Ave and Seventy-seventh Street Bellosguardo – CA Rancho Alegre – donated to Boy Scouts Le Beau Chateau – Connecticut – never occupied 907 Fifth Avenue – NY – Apartments 12W (Huguette’s), 8W (Anna’s), 8E (purchased 1963)

Hadassah Peri – private nurse for 20 years   Chris Sattler – personal assistant for art projects and hobbies   Suzanne Pierre – wife of longtime doctor, Jules Pierre – friend and social secretary   Anna’s goddaughters Leontine Lyle Ann Ellie   Tade Styka – painting teacher Wanda Magdeleine Styka – daughter and Huguette’s goddaughter   Wally Bock – attorney   Irving Kamsler – accountant   Various Doctors and Doctor’s Hospital

For discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from paperback edition of the book.

 

1. What do you think of W.A. considering the following:
1. His questionable Montana Senate election
2. He was a shrewd and honest businessman.
3. He was fair to employees: supported fair wages, opposed wage reductions when copper price fell, offered good healthcare for employees, supported giving women the vote (page 87)
4. He had no succession planning for his business
5. In his will he made minimal charitable donations unlike Carnegie and Rockefeller

 

2. Does W.A.’s fairness in business outweigh his underhandedness in politics, particularly the Montana State Senate?
3. What was the impact of Andree’s death on Huguette?  Did her parents seem to learn anything after reading Andree’s journal about how unhappy she was?
4. Had Huguette been a few years younger and had the opportunity to go to college, would her life have been different?  How?
5. Discuss the various people and their lives.  How would they have been changed if they had less money or no money?  How did money enhance or diminish their lives?
6. Why do you think Anna and Huguette continued to give money to so many people they barely knew?
7. In a conversation with her attorney, Wally Bock, Huguette said about giving so much money away, “I want to see people enjoy the gifts that I give while I’m alive.” (page 266).  Can you understand her thoughts on this?
8. What did you think of Hadassah?  Did she deserve the money Huguette gave her?  After all she did work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week and had no life of her own. 
9. Wanda Styka last saw Huguette when she was 11 and Huguette was 48 but they corresponded for 50+ years.  Chris Sattler commented about Wanda, “If there ever was anybody in the world who ever loved Mrs. Clark just for her love, it was that lady” (page 259).  Did you think anyone else loved Huguette just for herself and not her money?
10. Discuss Doctor’s Hospital, part of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, and the Development Department.  The chapter title was “Shakedown” (page279).  Was it ethical for the doctors to talk with Huguette?
11. Do you think Huguette was competent or manipulated toward the end?
12. What did you think about her 19 relatives?   Why did they not pay more attention to Huguette earlier in her life?  Through the four children of W.A. and Kate, each family had already received 1/5 of his estate, same as Huguette.  Was it fair that they wanted Huguette’s share?
13. Did you think the final settlement of Huguette’s estate was fair?  Why or why not?

*****

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