| Description |
1 online resource (511 pages). |
| Series |
Legends of History anthology |
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Legends of History anthology.
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BiblioBoard Core module.
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| Note |
Original document: Book. |
| Summary |
The story of how she became "The Witch of Wall Street," this volume details the life and accomplishments of Hetty Green, the first American woman to make a substantial impact on Wall Street. Born Henrietta Howland Robinson, Hetty Green grew up in a Quaker family who owned a large fleet of whaling ships and profited from the China trade. Beginning at the age of two, Hetty stayed at her father's side and grew up reading financial papers and business plans. When she was 13, Hetty became her family's bookkeeper and went to school at 15 in Boston. When her father died in 1864, Hetty was 20 and inherited $7.5 million (roughly $110 million, adjusted for inflation). Against the objection of most of her family, she invested in Civil War war bonds. At 33, Hetty married Edward Henry Green and created an investment strategy for her large inheritance while her husband pursued a career as a banker. Despite much nay-saying from her family, Hetty turned a profit of $1.25 million in one year from her bond investments. Hetty began giving stock advice to many men on Wall Street and was met with much controversy and disdain in local newspapers, many calling her "The Witch of Wall Street." Other rumors included her being a miser. While her family members admitted to her frugality, many tales claimed Hetty was extremely tight with her money. Some claimed she never used heat or hot water and owned only one dress. Other stories contended that she would only wash the dirty parts of her dress to save money on soap, lived mostly on 15 cent pies, and spent nearly three hours one night searching a carriage for a lost two-cent stamp. Despite the adversity she faced from her family, friends and the media, Hetty was estimated to have a net worth of over $150 million (over $2 billion in 2010 dollars). Some historians even credit her to be the richest woman of all time. |
| Note |
GMD: electronic resource. |
| Subject |
Howland family (Gideon Howland, 1734-1823)
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Howland family.
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Green, Hetty Howland Robinson, 1834-1916.
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