Huguette Clark dies, many questions remain

May 24, 2011 10:20 AM

The reclusive 104-year-old heiress has died, but the recent public fascination with her has led to an investigation into the handling of her money. You may remember last year's MeFi post dedicated to Huguette Clark. The hospital in which she lived for the past 22 years confirmed that she died Tuesday morning, just shy of her 105th birthday. The investigation of the people handling her fortune continues.
posted by lily_bart (12 comments total)

Real storybook stuff leaving such riches without any clear heirs. RIP Ms. clark.
posted by GuyZero at 10:45 AM on May 24, 2011

Thanks for the update on this.
posted by amro at 10:46 AM on May 24, 2011

what a long life of loneliness, i assume. sad
posted by zombieApoc at 11:08 AM on May 24, 2011

Well, Huguette what Huguive, I suppose.

I'm sorry
posted by Curious Artificer at 11:18 AM on May 24, 2011 [10 favorites]

What an sad yet fascinating story.
posted by narwhal bacon at 11:36 AM on May 24, 2011

Like a Howard Hughes. Mentally ill rich person with no family and grubbing servants. Another one came up recently Wellington R. Burt, though unclear if he was crazy or foxy or both.
posted by stbalbach at 12:22 PM on May 24, 2011

Her father sounds interesting; the article mentions that Las Vegas grew up along one of his railroads and that Clark County (where Vegas is) is named for him. After he was caught bribing state legislators to send him to the US Senate he was quoted as saying "I never bought a man who wasn't for sale." I wish modern politicians were as candid.
posted by TedW at 12:39 PM on May 24, 2011 [1 favorite]

I find the most fascinating thing about this story is that her father was born in 1839, Making him 22 when the Civil War broke out!
posted by QueerAngel28 at 12:51 PM on May 24, 2011

Her father ,William Clark, was the last straw in leading to the direct election of Senators. He essentially bought a senate seat by bribing the Montana legislature in the late 1890s. News of this came out after the election. Realizing the Senate would never accept him he resigned before taking office.

This created a vacancy in office that the governor would have to fill. The governor disliked Clark but was out of state. So Clark got the lieutenant governor, who was also out of state, to return to Montana to appoint a successor: William Clark! When the governor returned he rescinded the appointment before Clark could take office and appointed his own man. The Senate refused to seat either.
posted by plastic_animals at 1:09 PM on May 24, 2011 [1 favorite]

RIP.

She deserved better than to be firewalled from the outside world.
posted by ZeusHumms at 1:50 PM on May 24, 2011

The Washington Post obituary.
posted by OmieWise at 6:58 AM on May 25, 2011

Family is excluded from burial of reclusive heiress Huguette Clark.
posted by ericb at 8:48 AM on May 26, 2011