To all those who yearn to be rich, the sad story of Phoebe Hearst Cooke’s latter years (“Phoebe’s side,” April 16) should be most instructive. For all the money she has, she cannot use it. Her own family is planning to rob her of it. That has got to hurt.
More supposed good is done in the name of “it’s in your own best interest” than in many other ways. And with that much money, how do you know who your friends are? The fact that she exhibits some paranoia may reflect reality more than it does a mental health issue. Again, with that much money, who would want you dead and how much would your death be worth to someone? She seems isolated and doing without friends or family for all her money; plus having a legal battle, which is surely stressful. It would be better to be on Social Security, have Medicare, and join the church choir. Surely a life with that much money would be so worrisome that confusion would set in no matter how level-headed you might be. So, to those who work their lives away to leave money to their children, take a lesson here. Wealth can cause more problems than it can solve and those with money have problems that even money cannot solve. She does need help.
This article appears in Apr 23-30, 2009.
