If we tell you that a person has died with $200 million as the net worth, would you believe us or call this fake news? It is hard to believe, right? Earning $200 million is not impossible but achieving this great feat requires huge potential and ever favorable luck. There is also another way of earning this huge amount in a lifetime – inheritance. Yes, many people who are millionaires or billionaires often acquire a part of their wealth through inheritance. Now, imagine combining inheritance with hard work. In that case, $200 million seems like a justified wealth. And, through this article, we will portray one celebrity who made this difficult task a possible reality. The celebrity in the forefront today is none other than the famous American classic actor, Gloria Vanderbilt. Resources report that Gloria Vanderbilt’s net worth at the time of her death was $200 million. And, the real question that raises curiosity is how she had managed to increase her wealth. Let us take a look into her past and find out the real secrets.
Gloria Vanderbilt’s Net Worth – Born with a Golden Spoon
Gloria Vanderbilt was born with a golden spoon in her mouth on 20 February 1924. She was born in the Vanderbilt family in Manhattan, New York, who already possessed riches beyond our imagination. Naturally, little Gloria gained wealth very soon after her birth. In 1925, when she was one year of age, her father, Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt, passed away leaving her and her half-sister a trust to take care of. Before getting to the trust straight away, it is better to learn more about who her father was.
Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt was none other than the great-grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, one of the richest Americans of all time. This man had gained most of his wealth from railroads and real estate and some from shipping. It is said that he had left behind $185 billion to his descendants. Now, being the only male heir of his time, Gloria Vanderbilt’s father, Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt had inherited the share of the railroads. When he passed away, he left behind a trust amounting to $5 million to his daughter, Gloria Vanderbilt. Thus, we can see that baby Gloria had enough money from the very beginning.
After Gloria Vanderbilt received the trust from her deceased father, she did not know that her custody would become so important to both her mother and her aunt. Initially, being her biological mother, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt, lived with her daughter. They used to travel to Paris constantly and her young Gloria’s mother splurged on her riches owing to her nearly uncontrollable spending habits. At this time, Gloria Vanderbilt’s aunt, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney came into the picture. The owner of the Whitney Museum, Gertrude wanted to take control of the trust money and filed for little Gloria’s custody. After a rigorous battle in court, which was one of the most unfair ones, Gloria was sent to live with her aunt and her mother’s allowance was reduced to a nominal amount. As Gloria grew up in Manhattan with her aunt, her aunt’s influence distanced her from her mother and by the time she was old enough to take charge of the funds, she disliked her mother enough to break her ties from the trust altogether.
Gloria Vanderbilt’s Career
Gloria Vanderbilt had enough money to live the life of a socialite. She could roam the world, eat at fancy restaurants, carry on with her own adventures, and more without worrying about earning money. However, Gloria Vanderbilt chose to make a mark on her own. She believed that the money that really matters is the money she would earn because of her own talents and skills. Hence, after getting schooled at some of the most prestigious institutions, she started pushing herself to become successful.
Gloria Vanderbilt explored different opportunities throughout her professional career. She had started off as a model when she was only fifteen years of age. Gradually, she moved into the world of fashion and partnered with Glentex. With Glentex, she launched her line of scarves that were very trendy and gained appreciation. Her breakthrough in the world of fashion came through when he signed up with Mohan Murjani. Gloria Vanderbilt supported by Murjani Corporation launched her fashion line of blue jeans. These jeans were different from the ones that were being sold at that time. The jeans designed by Gloria Vanderbilt were comparatively tightly fitted and had embroidery done on the back pockets. The jeans were also embossed with a signature logo, the swan emblem. This was the biggest fashion hit in the 1980s and Gloria Vanderbilt admitted that she earned at least $10 million by selling her fashion line. If we take the inflation under consideration, the present value of $10 million would be around $30 million at least. Thus, you can imagine why Gloria Vanderbilt has paved her way towards having a net worth of $200 million.
In the field of art, Gloria Vanderbilt was a woman whose talent went unmatched. She was a successful artist and her exhibitions were always a hit among art lovers. Gradually, designing companies started appreciating her talent and she worked with many brands to design pottery, linen, and glassware. It is believed that Gloria had a rich taste for home décor and, thus, excelled in the field. As a theatre artist, she did some astonishing roles in plays. Her debut in the “The Swan” was so much loved that the swan became her signature logo when she designed blue denim. Vanderbilt was also into literature and has written memoirs, novels, and other literary pieces that have added value to many libraries in the world.
Gloria Vanderbilt – Marital Life
Gloria Vanderbilt has always been an independent woman. She did fall in love but it was not possible for her to sacrifice everything just to fit in and make her marriage successful. She was married four times as she was looking for the happiness people expect from the marriage. Her first husband, Pat DiCicco, an agent in Hollywood, married her when she was 17. Gloria was not happy as she was physically and verbally abused by him. In 1945, she divorced him with no children and married Leopold Stokowski within a few weeks. Her second marriage was better and lasted for ten years. The couple even had two sons together before getting divorced in 1955. She married director Sidney Lumet in 1956 and got divorced in 1963 having no children together.
Despite losing in love, Gloria Vanderbilt did not give up. She believed in a perfect marriage and this blessing was granted by God when she met author Wyatt Emory Cooper. The two fell in love and they celebrated their marriage in 1963. Their marriage was surely successful and Gloria was by the side of her husband until his death in 1978. In the fifteen years of togetherness, the couple had two sons. One son, Carter Vanderbilt Cooper, had committed suicide and that broke Gloria’s heart a lot. Another son, Anderson Hays Cooper, is a popular anchor from CNN and is quite famous at present. In recent times, Gloria Vanderbilt had multiple lovers in her life but she did not marry again after the death of her fourth husband.
Gloria Vanderbilt lived like a winner. She set trends that swayed the world and touched lives through her books and art. It is believed by many that her character inspired the creation of Holly Golightly in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and several memoirs are dedicated to this powerful woman. Gloria Vanderbilt’s contribution to the world cannot be measured in numbers. Her death on 17 June 2019 shook the hearts of her fans. At the age of 95, she died in peace with $200 million as her asset. Thus, from her life, it can be perceived that Gloria Vanderbilt’s net worth is justified and she is an inspiration who cannot be replaced.