Sure, you know the rich men, the Rockefellers and the Kennedys. But can you name their female counterparts in the world of glitter and high finance?
Kit Konolige`s ”The Richest Women in the World” (Macmillan) names names and tells how the women got their money, how they spend it and how they make more and more of it.
Q–At what point does a rich woman become one of the richest women in the world?
A–When she`s got $100 million. Nobody thinks of a million dollars as really rich anymore. Nearly every doctor is worth that much. When she gets $10 million, she`s starting to be wealthy. But there are only 80 or 90 women in the country with $100 million.
Q–How did these women get their money?
A–Mostly by inheriting it from their fathers or husbands. Joan Kroc, who now owns a large chunk of MacDonald`s as well as the San Diego Padres, met her husband when she was playing piano in a bar. What`s different about women today who inherit their money is that they`re actively taking control of it. In addition to Kroc, there`s Georgia Frontiere, who runs the Los Angeles Rams, which she inherited from her late husband. Only a few women have made fortunes. Mary Kay is about it.
Q–Do rich women have much in common?
A–Yes. Their money dominates them. People who work for them are constantly saying, ”What should we do next?” Strangers are always asking for money. They`re under great pressure to support charities and donate buildings to prove they`re not just part of the idle rich. They have security problems. They can`t get away from the money.
Q–What is the worst problem a rich woman faces?
A–Not knowing whom to trust. Rich people never know if they`re loved or respected for themselves or their money. They tend to be guarded and suspicious of people. It`s very hard to become friends with a rich person because of that. Many of them tend to cling to friends they knew before they acquired all their money.
Q–Can money buy happiness?
A–Almost everybody I interviewed seemed very happy. The exceptions are people now in their 30s who grew up in the `60s, when having a lot of money was a negative thing and kept you from fitting in with your peers. Some of them rebelled against the family`s money and joined communes and cults and experimented with drugs. A lot of them went to psychiatrists for a long time to resolve the ”Why me?” question: ”Why am I so rich when there`s so much hunger in the world?”
