Barbara Hutton Biography

(Socialites)

Birthday: November 14, 1912 (Scorpio)

Born In: New York, New York, United States

Barbara Hutton was an American heiress, debutante, and socialite. She was referred to as the "Poor Little Rich Girl” first when she had an expensive and luxurious debutante ball in 1930 and later due to her troubled personal life. Heiress to the business tycoon Frank Winfield Woolworth, she was one of the richest women in the world in her time. Despite being born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Hutton led a sad life right from her childhood till her death. She lost her mother when she was four, after which she was abandoned by her father. Married and divorced seven times, she gained grand foreign titles but was often treated badly by most of her husbands. Hutton had one child with her second husband with whom she waged a bitter custody battle after their divorce. She suffered from anorexia nervosa which prevented further childbirth. Later, her only son died in a plane crash at the age of 36 which left her devastated. While publicly Hutton was quite envied for her beauty and her luxurious life, privately she remained depressed and insecure, and often took refuge in drugs, alcohol, and playboys. In 1979, she breathed her last, at the age of 66. At the time of her death, she was on the verge of bankruptcy.
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Quick Facts

Also Known As: Barbara Woolworth Hutton

Died At Age: 66

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Baron Gottfried von Cramm (1955-1959), Cary Grant (1942-1945), Count Kurt von Haugwitz-Reventlow (1935-1938), Porfirio Rubirosa (1953-1954), Prince Alexis Mdivani (1933-1935), Prince Igor Troubetzkoy (1947-1951), Prince Pierre Doan (1964-1966)

father: Franklyn Laws Hutton

mother: Edna Woolworth

children: Lance Reventlow

Philanthropists Socialites

Died on: May 11, 1979

place of death: Beverly Hills, California, United States

Diseases & Disabilities: Anorexia Nervosa

Cause of Death: Heart Attack

City: New York City

U.S. State: New Yorkers

  • 1

    Where did Barbara Hutton live most of her life?

    Barbara Hutton lived most of her life in the United States, primarily in New York City.
  • 2

    What was Barbara Hutton known for besides being an heiress?

    Barbara Hutton was also known for her lavish lifestyle, extravagant spending, and multiple marriages.
  • 3

    Did Barbara Hutton have any children?

    Yes, Barbara Hutton had one son named Lance Reventlow, from her marriage to Danish nobleman, Count Kurt Haugwitz-Reventlow.
  • 4

    What philanthropic activities was Barbara Hutton involved in?

    Barbara Hutton was involved in various philanthropic activities, supporting causes such as children's hospitals, animal welfare, and the arts.
  • 5

    How did Barbara Hutton pass away?

    Barbara Hutton passed away on May 11, 1979, at the age of 66, due to a heart attack in Beverly Hills, California.
Childhood & Early Life
Barbara Hutton was born on November 14, 1912 in New York City, USA, to Edna Woolworth and the co-founder of E. F. Hutton & Company, Frank W. Woolworth.
Barbara was the niece of Edward Francis Hutton who was also the co-founder of E. F. Hutton & Co. like her father. She was also the niece of Marjorie Merriweather Post, who was married to E.F. Hutton for a time. Their daughter was the actress Dina Merrill.
Her mother died in 1917 due to mastoiditis at the age of 33. However, it is rumoured that she committed suicide because of her husband's womanizing attitude. After her mother's death, four-year-old Barbara went on to live with her relatives.
She attended Miss Hewitt's Classes (presently The Hewitt School) and Miss Porter's School for Girls in Connecticut.
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Inheritances
In 1924, Barbara Hutton’s grandmother Jennie Woolworth bequeathed to her $26.1 million after her death. Hutton also acquired $2.1 million from her mother’s inheritance.
In 1930, on her 18th birthday, she was given a lavish debutante ball that cost $60,000. By the time of Hutton’s 21st birthday, her father had increased her bequest to $42 million, making her one of the richest women in the world.
Marriages
In 1933, Barbara Hutton married Georgian Prince Alexis Mdivani and became Her Highness Princess Alexis Mdivani. Mdivani, who used Hutton’s wealth to his advantage, received a $1 million dowry from her father at the time of their marriage.
After divorcing Mdivani in 1935, Hutton married Count Kurt Haugwitz-Reventlow. The couple had a son named Lance who later died in 1972, at the age of 36. Throughout her marriage with Reventlow, Hutton was verbally and physically abused. At one point, she resorted to drugs and developed anorexia.
After her divorce from Reventlow, she gained the custody of her son who was raised by a governess. In 1938, Hutton had a brief relationship with businessman Howard Hughes.
On July 8, 1942, she married American actor Cary Grant who appeared to genuinely care for her. Nevertheless, this marriage also ended in a divorce.
Hutton moved to Paris, France where she started dating Igor Troubetzkoy, an aristocrat and athlete. In the spring of 1948, the two married in Zurich, Switzerland. Troubetzkoy ultimately filed for divorce after which Hutton attempted suicide. This incident received much media coverage.
Her next marriage, which was with Porfirio Rubirosa, a Dominican diplomat, lasted 53 days. In 1955, Hutton married her old pal, German tennis player Baron Gottfried von Cramm. The couple separated four years later.
Her seventh marriage, which was to Prince Pierre Raymond Doan, was also short-lived.
Hutton lived with British sportsman Frederick McEvoy after her marriage to Grant. The two never married and remained close friends until McEvoy's death in 1951.
Final Years & Death
Following the death of her only son in 1972, Barbara Hutton plunged into a state of despair. By this time, her wealth had started diminishing as well. Her final years were spent in loneliness and she died from a heart attack on 11 May 1979.
Facts About Barbara Hutton
Barbara Hutton, known as the "Poor Little Rich Girl," was once married to actor Cary Grant for a brief period in the 1940s.
She was an avid collector of Fabergé eggs and owned one of the largest private collections in the world.
Barbara Hutton was a generous philanthropist, donating significant amounts of money to various causes throughout her life.
She had a passion for travel and was known to explore exotic destinations around the world in style.
Despite her immense wealth, Barbara Hutton was known to have a down-to-earth personality and valued genuine connections with others.

See the events in life of Barbara Hutton in Chronological Order

How To Cite

Article Title
- Barbara Hutton Biography
Author
- Editors, TheFamousPeople.com
Website
- TheFamousPeople.com
URL
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/barbara-hutton-43961.php

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