Barbara Hutton (1912 – 1979) was an American socialite, heiress, and philanthropist. She was widely known as the “Poor Little Rich Girl” at first due to her lavish coming out ball sorting the Great Depression and later due to her tumultuous personal life. She inherited the Woolworth fortune becoming one of the wealthiest women in the world. Despite her wealth, she endured a series of personal tragedies, failed marriages and a complicated public image.
Early life of Barbara Hutton
Born on 14th November 1912 in New York, Barbara Hutton was the only child of Edna Woolworth, daughter of the successful Woolworth five-and-dime store founder Frank W. Woolworth. Her father was wealthy and respected Franklyn Laws Hutton, who ran an investment banking and stock brokerage firm with his brother.
Barbara’s mother reportedly died on the 2nd May 1917 when she was 33, from suffocation due to mastoiditis, an infection that affects the air cells of the skull behind the ear. However rumour persists that she committed suicide by poison in despair over her husband’s philandering. At just four years of age, Barbara discovered her mother’s body, the trauma haunted her for the rest of her life. Following this harrowing incident, she lived with various relatives, and was raised by a governess. Hutton attended Miss Hewitt’s Classes in New York’s Lenox Hill neighbourhood and Miss Porters School for Girls in Farmington, Connecticut. She became a shy, introverted child who had limited interaction with other children her own age.
In 1924, Barbara’s grandmother Jennie Woolworth passed away and bequeathed to her $26.1 million ($368 million in 2023). Another $2.1 million in stock from her mother’s inheritance was placed in a separate trust – both of these were managed by her father. By the time she was 21, her inheritance had grown to $42 million, not including the $8 million from her mother’s estate, making her one of the wealthiest women in the world.
Barbara Hutton’s Socialite lifestyle
In accordance with high society tradition, Barbara was thrown a lavish debutante ball on her 18th birthday in 1930. In the times of the Great Depression, this cost an absolute fortune – $60,000 – and was attended by notable guests. Members of the Astor and Rockefeller families were there and entertained by stars like Rudy Vallee and Maurice Chevalier. The public backlash was so severe that Barbara was sent on a tour of Europe to escape the brutal press onslaught.
With a lifestyle of lavish parties, multiple homes around the world, and luxurious shopping sprees, Barbara Hutton became a symbol of wealth and glamour during the 1930s and 1940s. She was a fixture in high society, moving among the elite in New York, Paris, London and other major cities. She also became a subject of media attention, with her private life frequently covered by newspapers and gossip columns.
Despite her wealth and high-profile connections, she was often depicted in the press as lonely and deeply unhappy. This was solidified by her string of tailed marriages, public affairs and a battle with addiction.
Marriages and Personal Struggles
Barbara was married seven times, often to aristocrats, European royalty and celebrities. Most of these marriages were unhappy and short-lived. Her husbands included:
- Alexis Mdivani (1933-1935) A Georgian Prince who reportedly married her for her wealth.
- Count Kurt Haugwitz-Reventlow (1935-1938) A Danish count and the father of her only child, Lance. This marriage was marred by physical abuse, ultimately ending in a bitter divorce.
- Cary Grant (1942-1945) Her third husband was the famous Hollywood actor Cary Grant. Although this was one of her happier marriages, they eventually divorced. Grant reportedly never took money from her during their relationship, which was highly publicised.
- Prince Igor Troubetzkoy (1947-1951) A Russian prince who shared her interest in racing cars.
- Porfiro Rubirosa (1953-1954) A notorious Dominican playboy and diplomat known for his charm and affairs with wealthy women.
- Baron Gottfried von Cramm (1955-1959) A German tennis champion and baron.
- Pierre Raymond Doan (1964-1966) Her final marriage, to a Vietnamese diplomat, which was brief and ultimately ended in divorce.
With the majority of her marriages ending in scandal, most were to men who took advantage of her wealth. Her personal life was filled with heartache, particularly after the tragic death of her son, Lance Reventlow, in a plane crash in 1972.
Alexis Mdivani
Barbara’s first husband used her immense wealth to his advantage.A social climber, both Mdivani and his siblings were known as the “Marrying Mdivani’s” from Georgia who claimed to be princes. Alexis was married to Louise van Alen, a member of the Astor family and friend of Barbara. His and Hutton’s meeting in Biarritz, France was engineered by Alexis’ manipulative sister Isabelle Roussadana Mdivani, who frequently drove her family into wealthy marriages, even if divorce was needed.
Alexis and Isabelle devised a plan that would enable him to divorce Louise, seduce Barbara and force her into marriage – all in one fell swoop. While Alexis, Isabelle, Louise, Barbara, and others were visiting San Sebastian, Spain, Isabelle timed Louise and other witnesses to visit a guest cottage. This gave Alexis time and perceived privacy to seduce Barbara. The group “accidentally” caught the couple, resulting in Barbara fleeing to Paris to avoid scandal. Isabelle would then threaten Barbara with negative publicity if she did not marry her brother. On the 22nd of June 1933, Alexis and Barbara were married in the Russian Orthodox Church in Paris with her father providing a $l million dowry. Alexis would spend millions of Barbara’s inheritance on a home, polo ponies, clothes and men’s jewelry before they divorced in March 1935.
Kurt Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow
Count Kurt Haugwitz- Hardenberg-Reventlow, with whom Barbara would have her only child, was her second husband. She was dominated with verbal and physical abuse, which escalated to a savage beating that left her hospitalised and landed him in jail. He also convinced her to give up her American citizenship and adopt his Danish citizenship for tax purposes, which she did in December 1937. It was at this point she began abusing drugs and developed anorexia, which plagued her for the rest of her life and leaving her unable to have more children.
Barbara’s divorce from Reventlow in 1938 gave her full custody of theirson Lance. Following the example set by her father, she left the raising of Lance to a governess and private boarding schools.
During the rest of 1938, she had a brief affair with Howard Hughes at the Savoy Hotel in London. Hughes was engaged at the time to Katharine Hepburn and had come to London to meet government officials as part of his plans to go around the world by air.
Cary Grant
With World War II looming in 1939, Barbara moved to California. She still actively helped with the war effort, giving money to help the Free French Forces and donating her yacht to the Royal Navy. She also gained positive publicity for using her high-profile image to sell war bonds. While in Hollywood, she met Cary Grant, who was one of the biggest movie stars of the era. After she married him on 8th of July 1942, the press gave them the moniker “Cash and Cary” even though Grant didn’t need her money or benefit from her name. He appeared to genuinely care for Hutton, but unfortunately this marriage also failed. Grant did not seek or receive any money from Hutton in their divorce settlement.
Igor Troubetzkoy
Following her divorce from Grant, Hutton left California and moved to Paris before acquiring a palace in Tangier, Morocco. It was at this time Barbara began dating Igor Troubetzkoy, who was an expatriate Russian prince of great renown, but limited means. In spring 1948, she married him in Zurich, Switzerland. Later that year, he drove the first Ferrari to ever compete in Grand Prix motor racing in Monaco, and later went on to win the Targa Florio. Igor would ultimately file for divorce. Barbara’s subsequent suicide attempt made global headlines. This was where she became widely known as the “Poor Little Rich Girl”. With her life making great copy, the media exploited her for consumption by the public.
Porfirio Rubirosa
Her next marriage lasted just 53 days and was to Dominican diplomat Porfirio Rubirosa. He was a notorious international playboy who continued his affair with Zsa Zsa Gabor while they were married. Following their divorce in February 1954, Hutton spent time with Americans James Douglas and Philip Van Resselear. Her lavish spending continued, even though she already owned several mansions around the world, she built a luxurious Japanese-style palace on 30-acres in Mexico in 1959.
Gottfried von Cramm
German tennis star and old friend Gottfried von Cramm was her next marriage which also ended in divorce.
Raymond Doan
Whilst in Tangier, Barbara met her seventh and final husband Prince Pierre Raymond Doan Vinh na Champassak. This marriage was also short-lived.
Art and Jewellery
Over the years, apart from her inherited collection which included old master paintings and a number of important sculptures, Barbara also personally built her own collection which included art, porcelain and jewellery. Her jewellery collection included elaborate historic pieces that had once belonged to Marie Antoinette and Empress Eugenia of France, and important pieces by Faberge and Cartier. Included in her collection was the 40-carat Pasha Diamond, which she purchased in an unusual octagonal brilliant-cut, but she had it recut into a round brilliant, which brought it down to 36 carats.
Although she is usually remembered for her personal life, Barbara Hutton was a noted philanthropist. Throughout her life, she donated large sums of money to various causes, particularly during World War II. She was known for supporting the Red Cross, financing relief efforts, and providing aid to worn-torn Europe. These charitable efforts were somewhat overshadowed by the media’s focus on her personal dramas, but she did try to use her fortune for good causes and helping others.
Final Years and Death
In her later years, Barbara became increasingly reclusive, suffering with health problems and depression after the death of her son Lance in a plane crash in 1972. By this time, her fortune had diminished, due to her spending and generosity. Alleged questionable deals by her longtime lawyer, Graham Mattison, also ate away at her fortune. Eventually she had to start liquidating her assets in order to live, but she continued to spend money on strangers willing to pay attention to her.
On the 11th of May 1979, Barbara Hutton died in Los Angeles at the age of 66. At the time of her death, she reportedly had only a small fraction of her wealth remaining, but some close to her said this was not the case. Her legacy as one of the world’s most famous heiresses serves as a cautionary tale of the dangers of wealth without personal happiness or stability.