Despite his chronic shyness, Howard was fascinated with the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. Surprisingly the cost of filming the entire franchise is estimated at $200 million, which is a lot less budget than the smashing returns it recorded at the ticket counters. And then there was the woman who claimed to be Hughes' biological mother, even though his mom had actually died long ago. #181, Ben Franklin, $10.3 billion. Oprah is only worth about $2.7 billion. RKO was a heady diversion, an opportunity to pursue his sensual enjoyments. In 1956, his political donations came under scrutiny when then-Vice President Richard Nixon asked Hughes for a $205,000 loan for his brother Donald's burger chain. #20, Bill Gates - $101 billion. WebRichest People in the World; Ron Howard is an American actor, director, and producer who has a net worth of $200 million. Howard Hughes: Filmmaker, Aviator, and Richest Man in the Sources: ABC13, Far Out, The Rake, Irish Times, It was a foggy night, and he claimed he swerved to avoid an oncoming car. The hearings, and Hughes' legendary triumph over them, helped end both the legislation and Brewster's political career; On Hughes' orders, Dietrich poured money into a challenger's campaign a few years later. Andrew Carnegie's steel company earned him about $298.3 billion. Three pilots died during filming. Karina Longworth wrote about Hughes in her book, "Sex, Lies, and Stardom in Howard Hughes's Hollywood. He was accused of hiring a CEO to basically do what he wanted, including making purchase orders from his other company, Hughes Tool Company. In 1935, he broke the record for cross-country flying. Unfortunately for Hughes, three flops followed, Hughes cashed in on the publics fascination with gangsters by producing Scarface, based on the life of Al Capone (weve actually got a video on him, you can find a link in the description below). She taught him that germs were dangerous and had to be fought. Howard Hughes was American business magnate, industrialist, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, hotelier, philanthropist, and was one of the wealthiest people in the world with net worth of $4 billion. By the age of 19, both of Hughes parents were dead. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. But other claims held more weight, according to The Washington Post. The film grossed an estimated $96.3 million at the global box office. His father, Arnold, was a miner and worked in construction; his mother, Chloe (Winder) Dummar, was a homemaker. WebHoward Hughes Dies: On April 5th of 1976, one of the world's richest men, eccentric billionaire and aviator dies at the age of 70. On February 15, 1982, Dietrich died of heart failure in a hospital in Palm Springs, California. Was Howard Hughes the richest man in the world? More than 1,000 people eventually claimed a small percentage of the Hughes fortune, and as his assets were sold off, the recipients split $1.5 billion. Always one to push the bounds, Hughes filled the film with violence and obscenities. Howard Hughes is shown being loaded into an ambulance shortly after his newest plane, the XF-11, crashed into three homes in fashionable Beverly Hills in 1946. The brilliant and fearless visible millionaire was transforming into a mysterious, invisible recluse. Beckinsale transformed herself into an action figure for the vampire-slaying werewolf character, Selena. He was lucky to get out alive, but he was badly injured he had a crushed collar bone, a collapsed lung, cracked ribs, his heart had been pushed to the right from the violent impact, and 75% of his body was covered in burns. She said Hughes' control over his actresses was an open secret in Hollywood at the time. These traits were to find full expression in her only son. Howard Hughes But it took decades before it was all wrapped up. Inside the life of eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes, a playboy aviator who died a germaphobic recluse, https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/inside-the-life-of-eccentric-billionaire-howard-hughes-a-playboy-aviator-who-died-a-germaphobic-recluse/slidelist/98416898.cms, Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images. He was even the subject of a monologue by Johnny Carson on his late-night talk show. Finally, out of exasperation, he set his sights on designing a better drill bit. Mr. Dummar, at a book-signing event, with copies of Gary N. Magnesens The Investigation, published in 2005. He then began buying up the city, starting with the hotel he was living in. According to writer Gore Vidal, "the inarticulate Hughes suddenly found his voice. The reshoot proved to be the break of a lifetime for a former bit player named Harlean Carpenter. He found the experience of flying both exhilarating and liberating. He left the room only once to go flying. It was a foggy night, and he claimed he swerved to avoid an oncoming car. After pleading failed, Hughes tried to strong-arm Dietrich into reconsidering, going so far, Dietrich recorded, as changing the lock on Dietrich's office a practice Hughes had followed any time top executives were fired or otherwise departed the Hughes operation, Dietrich recalled. While old Mr Hughes was changing the way we all travel. But for a man as wealthy as Hughes who had no will nor children that wasn't the end of the story. Mr. Dummar He was so much quicker than expected that when he landed there were no photographers ready to take his photo. Movie producer and aviation executive Howard Hughes and Ava Gardner are shown at ringside during the title bout between Heavyweight champion Joe Louis and Tami Mauriello in Yankee Stadium in 1946. Noah Dietrich has been portrayed within several adaptations: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He quietly moved between cities and countries, including the Bahamas and Nicaragua. The movie would be released just as he intended. After parting ways with Hughes, Dietrich, as a well-respected financial and executive advisor, served on several corporate and financial boards as well as traveled to many speaking engagements. He was already quite fit and quickly learned to whittle, perfect Indian signs and simulate bird calls. In 1917, he became an assistant comptroller for Edward L. Doheny Oil companies in New York City. #181, Ben Franklin, $10.3 billion. Other notables to make the list include: Sources: Texas Monthly, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal. The Highest-Grossing Kate Beckinsale Movies, Ranked Geoff Schumacher, the author of Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia & Palace Intrigue (2008), said in a phone interview that there had been no logical reason for Mr. Hughes to be in the desert without his usual coterie of aides, and that the handwriting on the will was not even close to Mr. Hughess. Due to the chronic pain from his plane crash injuries, he became increasingly addicted to Valium and codeine. The Wall Street Journal reports that Hughes wasn't married when he died, and he isn't known to have fathered any children, which complicated the matter further. Over those four months at the studio his personal hygiene rapidly deteriorated, even as his germ obsession intensified. Times Syndication Service. After his first movie "Swell Hogan" flopped in 1926, he produced two respectable hits, including "Two Arabian Knights," which won an Academy Award. #190, Rupert But Rouse Co. went out of business before the entire property was purchased, and in their bankruptcy filing, they had to pay off the final amount, which was estimated at about $220 million. From a young age, he liked to tinker with mechanics. A small group of reporters was able to view Hughes's body, but he was almost unrecognizable to them, since he had been out of the public eye for so long. He told the newspapers it was his first accident since he'd begun driving at 12 and he had never "even hit a cat or dog.". To their surprise, Hughes sued them and he won. His emaciated body finally breathed its last breath on April, 5th, 1976. By Steve T on October 10, 2017 Business, Celebrity. He died of cancer on Sunday at 74 in Pahrump, Nev. By the time the Hughes inheritance was settled by a probate court jury in Texas in 1981, more than 600 people had made claims to the fortune, and 40 wills, all supposedly written by Mr. Hughes, had been produced and rejected. Hughes did the same things that other men did he just did them more crudely. ", Sources: ABC13, Texas Monthly, The Rake, Irish Times. About 600 people came forward with claims on his fortune. Off to court they went. In 1966, he checked into the top floor of the Desert Inn in Las Vegas. Those relatives stood to inherit the Hughes fortune, estimated at more than $2 billion (about $9 billion today), if they could prove that the will brought forth by Mr. Dummar was fraudulent. Howard Hughes used to be one of the richest men in the world. But after his fingerprints were found on the envelope, he testified that a stranger had given it to him at his gas station and that he had taken it to the church headquarters. The encounter might have been forgotten except for what happened nine years later, when Mr. Hughes, one of the richest men in the world, died. Here's Who Inherited Howard Hughes' Fortune After His Death. He was shunned and had a hard time finding work. According to Mental Floss, the films biopic plot revolves around the remarkable tycoon Howard Hughes and is set in the 1920s. Based on Howard Huges: The Secret Life, the film was directed by legendary Martin Scorsese and starred Academy Award winners Leonardo DiCaprio and He picked him up and drove him to Las Vegas. #15, Elizabeth I - $142.9 billion. On November 20th, 1908, he emerged from his study with designs for a bit that contained 168 cutting edges. Despite being heavily criticized in the film circles, the war theme clicked with the audience, and the movie grossed $449 million at the global box office. Universal Pictures had even paid for the sequels original Transylvania sets in the hopes of returning to film, but the project was scrapped at the last moment. In 1943, he made a critically panned film called "The Outlaw," featuring Jane Russell. It was well received by the critics and won two Best Picture awards, a Golden Globe and Bafta, respectively. [1] He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, in Glendale, California. (The movie won two Oscars: one for Mary Steenburgen, who played Mr. Dummars first wife, for best supporting actress, and one for Bo Goldman, for best screenplay.). The romantic film directed by Peter Chelsom was released in 2001. And folks, thanks to fellow Woody Boater Bob Killeen who found this rare Hughes Sportster on Craigslist. From that moment on, he would be at his most peaceful when he was alone in an airplane flying high above a world that he so often tried to escape. Noah was getting tired of doing it. The film made $9 million on its opening day and grossed approximately $25 million during the first weekend at the domestic box office. In 1947 the pressure on Hughes was ramped up by several notches when he was subpoenaed to appear before Congress regarding alleged improprieties in his government contracts. Anyone can read what you share. Away from the over protective gaze of his mother, it seemed, he was able to shake off his effeminate nature and show his true colors. Andrew Mellon, $188.8 billion. At the same juncture, Hughes, Dietrich recalled, also did everything in his power to stop Dietrich's long-planned African safari with his two sons, the first long vacation Dietrich had taken in decades of working for Hughes. And they treated me like a criminal.. Mr. Hughes died with no surviving immediate family and, according to his extended family, no will which was why the document produced by Mr. Dummar, loaded with misspellings and incorrect information (unusual for the meticulous Mr. Hughes), caused such a sensation. A photographer named Doug Tisdale told ABC13 that even though he was called into the morgue to see Hughes' body, he didn't recognize it. The 1901 discovery of oil at Spindletop, near Considered the richest man in the world during the mid 20th century, he was a man of many talents (and eccentricities!). [1] (Even though these dates have been recorded as the official period of employment, Noah Dietrich continued to oversee and make executive decisions for the Hughes industries as late as 1970.) 2. When Hughes returned, Dietrich wrote, he made a special point of calling this aunt. Failing to find a director who shared his passion for the skies, Howard decided to go it alone writing, producing and directing the worlds first true aviation picture, Hells Angels. After leaving Hughes in 1957, Dietrich married for a third time. The amount was life-changing. Mr. Schumacher, an executive at the Mob Museum in Las Vegas, said he believed that Mr. Dummar had picked up someone in the desert, but that it could not have been Howard Hughes. Hughes' uncle's stepdaughter, Avis Hughes McIntyre, and her brother's heirs, each received 4.75% of the estate, reports The Washington Post. Noah Dietrich Beckinsale transformed herself into an action figure for the vampire-slaying werewolf character, Selena. The company could pay the heirs either in stocks or cash. A cult classic, the action/horror film franchise earned $553 million at the global box office. A jury decided that the will was forged, and while no one was ever officially charged, Mr. Dummar was found guilty in the court of public opinion. Howard Hughes John Meier | International Political and Business A pretrial agreement meant that Hughes' 16 cousins were given 71.5% of the estate. This made him then the only solo Hollywood studio owner. According to EW, the war epic based on actual events from World War II debuted in the top 2 on the 2001 Memorial day weekend, racking in $75.1 million. Aparently he had the time to design a secret dingy on the side. Press Esc to cancel. "He is the fan who walked in off the street, who made movies and bossed a studio, and who was crazy and hopeful enough to think of having Jean Harlow, Jane Russell, Katharine Hepburn, Ida Lupino and so on, into the night," Thomson wrote in "The New Biographical Dictionary of Film. Kate replaced Gwyneth Paltrow, originally chosen to play Ava Gardner in the film. Sources: The Rake, Los Angeles Times, Sunday Post, Irish Times. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the richest man in the world, according to the 2019 Forbes billionaires' list released this week. Instead Hughes, who was not interested in running his father's company, dropped out of university and moved to Los Angeles with Rice so he could chase his two dreams directing cinema and flying planes. Only when he was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (the same illness that killed shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis), did Dietrich finally retire in full. He was the only child of Allene and Howard Hughes Sr. John Springer Collection/Corbis/Getty Images. He would end up spending about $300 million buying six casinos, alongside other assets like a television station, in just two years. The 10 Richest People in the World 2021 Sources: Far Out, New York Times, New Republic. ", and to "Explain the principles of the internal combustion engine," both of which Dietrich was able to answer satisfactorily. The Washington Post reports that the Harris County Probate Court in Texas took seven weeks to hear testimony before dividing up Hughes' massive fortune. agent, sided with Mr. Dummar after investigating his claims that he was a rightful heir to Howard Hughess fortune. The public spotlight on Hughes began to fade as time went on. And they believed he got screwed., Melvin Dummar, 74, Who Claimed Howard Hughes Left Him Millions, Dies, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/12/obituaries/melvin-dummar-dead.html. It went on to earn an estimated $198.5 million worldwide. According to. Cornelius Vanderbilt, $167.4 billion, courtesy of the New York and Harlem Railroad and the shipping industry. Hughes used his money to woo women. Many in his entourage thought that hed been abducted. Instead he plunged through the roof of a nearby house. As he aged, Hughes' behavior became increasingly eccentric. A short time later, the US Government came calling. (Dietrich quoted Hughes as saying, "Noah, I can't exist without you! Per ABC 13, immediately after Hughes' death was announced in 1976, the press flocked to Houston, Texas. Directed by Frank Coraci, the comedy starring Adam Sandler and Christopher Walken and Kate became a sleeper success at the global box office in 2006. According to Mental Floss, the films biopic plot revolves around the remarkable tycoon Howard Hughes and is set in the 1920s. Howard Hughes on the witness stand before the Senate War Investigating Committee today to answer questions relating to his wartime plane building contracts. All he ever really wanted in life was more. The Madness & Brilliance of Howard Hughes. He trusted these men because they didn't smoke or drink. Dietrich wanted compensation based on a stock option, which was subject only to a tax of 25%. WebHoward Hughes was American business magnate, industrialist, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, hotelier, philanthropist, and was one of the wealthiest people in the According to handwritten communications found after his death, he couldn't spell the vice president's last name or his cousin's last name. Still, the pain and head injuries affected his behavior, causing his OCD to spin out of control. An old wife of Hughes even came forward. The sci-fi/action flick directed by Len Wisemen also starred Colin Farrell and Jessica Biel in pivotal roles. In 1947, Hughes went before the Senate to explain why the government had invested $18 million in his Spruce Goose when it had never gotten off the ground and had been of no use during the war. Leaving behind $500 million, plus properties, is no small sum, and Hughes had plenty of people to divide it between. Compulsive hand washing to avoid germs, checking and re-checking his work, always seeking symmetry and constantly trying to make things perfect all classic signs of OCD were seen as symptoms of a deteriorating mind. Moore later settled with the estate in 1983 for an undisclosed amount. Tom Sketchley, following a traffic accident in which Gabe S. Meyer, a pedestrian, was allegedly struck and killed by Hughes' automobile. Like the others before her, the judge threw wacky claim after wacky claim out of court. As if by design, Hughes last hours were spent in the air he was traveling to Houston to receive medical treatment. "[3]:253, Though Dietrich was pulling in a salary of $500,000 per year, his tax burden was 70% on the first $100,000 and then 93% for the remainder. One curiosity: the writing in the Irving manuscript is much better than that in the hastily drafted Phelan version. [1][3]:255,257, Dietrich became Hughes' most indispensable executive "Noah can do it" was, according to Dietrich's memoir, a frequent Hughes expression whenever difficult, if not impossible, wants or needs needed to be met. Howard Hughes standing in front of a plane wearing aviator goggles. An attorney holds a copy of one of the wills purportedly made by Howard Hughes. By 1951, Dietrich was separated from his second wife. "The tool company," he quoted Hughes as saying, "was my father's success. The film collected an estimated $214 million at the global box office. In a modified Lockheed 14, he took to the skies with a hand-picked crew and set off from New York. Not surprisingly, he soon gained a reputation as a sissy. The remains of one of the houses Howard Hughes crashed into in 1946. He famously grew out his hair and fingernails. This obsession would take over his life in the later years. Howard Hughes (HHC) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.07 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.97 per share. By 1945, Dietrich had three children with his second wife. A publicist named Mike Watson offered a $5,000 reward for any photos of Hughes taken after 1968. Wearing a two-tone wig, a Confederate flag jacket, two pairs of glasses, and a straw hat with colorful feathers in it, the woman testified that she was absolutely Hughes' mother. This was going to be his magnus opus and he was prepared to pour in as much money, time and effort as was needed to create a masterpiece. Howard Hughes speaks into microphones as he testifies that he did not offer to pay $100,000 if he could persuade New York officials to relax their ban against the motion picture The Outlaw. WebHoward Hughes. Despite the loan, Donald Nixon had to close his burger business anyway the following year. Mr. Magnesen said he believed that the will was legitimate but that Mr. Dummar had been steamrollered during the legal proceedings, which, he said, had been replete with acts of obstruction of justice, witness intimidation and possible jury tampering. Howard Hughes with actress Peggy Cummins and others in 1930. We have included this quote because it shows a typical side of Howard Hughes. He was controversial and over the top, and that's what made him so attractive and magnetic too so many people in Los Angeles and the world. Every man has his price, or a guy like me couldn't exist. Later, Hughes left Las Vegas, but he was never seen in public again. At one time Howard Hughes was the richest man in the world. Richest Directors He said that he had sought to have the case reopened, but that his motion was denied. In 1928, he earned his pilot's license. United Artists/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis/Getty Images. American actress Jane Russell on the set of The Outlaw, directed by Howard Hughes. Kate Beckinsale has been a part of several Hollywood blockbusters in her career. The body of billionaire Howard Hughes is wheeled out of the pathology department of Methodist Hospital where an autopsy disclosed kidney failure as the cause of death. So, during the 1916 summer recess, Sonny found himself in the middle of the Pohokop Mountains in Pike County, Pennsylvania under the tutelage of a grizzled old timer by the name of General Dan Beard. #52, Howard Hughes " $43.4 billion. #116, John Hancock, $19.3 billion. His flights weren't always smooth. On July 7th 1946, Hughes took the XF-11 for its first test flight over the Los Angeles basin. During the opening weekend, the rib-tickling futuristic comedy debuted at number one at the domestic box office with approximately $40 million in ticket sales. The exterior of the Desert Inn in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1967. He had his first plane crash in 1928 and his second in 1943 when he crashed into Lake Mead. Richest People in History Howard Hughes #45, J. Paul Getty - $50.1 billion. The sensors knocked it back, demanding major edits. The Hughes case reached the Supreme Court twice. Sources: ABC13, Irish Times, Daily Star, New Republic, The Rake, Texas Monthly, He also proposed to other women, including Gene Tierney, who claimed he was "incapable of loving anything that didn't have a motor in it.". Noah Dietrich was one of Hughes' most trusted confidants until they had a falling out in the late 1950s. Both of Hughes' parents died within two years of each other, and at 19, he inherited his father's company and 75% of his fortune.