I found the story of Huguette Clark fascinating. (Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr.) Clark was the daughter of W.A. Clark, Senator from Montana (1901-1907) and copper baron. She lived until she was almost 105 years old. She was fabulously wealthy and gave away millions of dollars a year, though not necessarily to charitable causes, more often to friends, aquaintances, and total strangers. She collected dolls, art, and houses. She lived the last 20 years of her life in a hospital though she was perfectly healthy for 19 of them. She was beyond interesting. I have not really decided if her story is a sad one about a madwoman, the pathetic tale of a rich eccentric, or just the story of an artist, patron, collector, sister, and daughter who just felt more comfortable keeping her distance from most people to live in a self-created world.
My only criticism of the book is that since she passed before it was written, and she was a recluse, there is little of her thoughts and views of the world outside what one of the authors gleaned from a few short conversations with her (he is a cousin) and some quotes from letters. She has been in the news here in DC recently because the Corcoran Gallery of Art, which was the recipient of much of her father's collections was part of a lawsuit challenging her will.
Really an interesting story I recommend highly.
