The Fascinating Tale of the 'Witch of Wall Street'

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Long before the likes of Warren Buffet, Hetty Green dominated Wall Street through extremely shrewd investing, frugality, and exploiting the lax investment rules of her age, managing to amass one of the greatest fortunes in history.

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[GameJeannie]

Does anyone else feel that this woman's story would make an amazing HBO show?

[greendiamondglow]

She seems like she'd be a nightmare to have as a mother. But an absolute dream as a broker

[RANON]

7:38 "the only two things she cares about: her money and her children" in that order. Her poor son might have been able to keep his leg if she paid for a good doctor initially

[blackcountryme]

There is an old saying.... You can't take it with you, because a shroud has no pockets.

[f.n.bartleby]

I want a TIFO about Simon Whistler's life and his unique and precise way of delivering large swaths of info.

[UmVtCg]

I knew there was a wolf, never thought there was a witch too.

[PetraYT]

What a sad story. Yes, money should be made, but you also need to spend it on important things. (Such as hygiene or health.)

[Reality_]

I work at Round Hill and I can 10000% say her mansion is HAAAUNTED!! The whole landscape crew dreads the mansion on rainy days or gettin late night calls to shut off alarms in the basement.

[davidgreen]

I’ve never heard this story but looking into ancestry I’m related to Hetty, that’s crazy

[hanstun]

"Live in prostitute", not a phrase you hear often. :)

[sidtiger]

How interesting! This could be a movie.

[Haerdalas]

I will never understand the point in having vast amounts of money if you refuse to spend it. Money only has value in as much as it can be used to acquire things you want, to make your life more enjoyable. Money for money's sake seems so very empty to me.

[Suchapill]

Bravo! I didn't even mind the breakneck delivery because you articulate so well. I learned more about Hetty from you than anyone other source. Thanks for revealing her three dimensions.

[draconiusultamius]

Ah yes, the Wicked Witch of Investment from The Wonderful Wizard of Wall. Great story, 9/10.

[itrthho]

The first time I ever heard of Hetty was from the GBWR in the 1970's. I appreciate the amount of research and the balance reporting of her and her family's life.

[PACKERMAN]

*We have the witch... we have the wolf... what's next, the walrus?*

[Tumbipungi]

Simon, you missed two other eccentric anecdotes about Hetty's frugality.
She made the NYC public library reading room be her "office" she went to each day.She used the radiators there to heat the instant oatmeal she ate for brunch, so as to avoid utility expenses at her residence.
She haggled with the dry cleaners about the cost of cleaning her outfit, insisting they only clean the lower part of her dress, which may have come into contact with the street.

Apocryphal or not, it's funny.

[reasonswhyrealestateage]

The positive things to be learned from this video are how hard work, intense focus, and great intelligence prevails over adversity.

[billmurray]

It all started in New Bedford, Ma. my home town.

[yearninescience]

I am from a town in England called Atherstone. Today is Shrove Tuesday so we all got together for "the ball game". It's a tradition we've had for hundreds of years and everyone I know finds it either horrifically violent or historically amazing. Maybe you could do a video on this? It gets occasional national coverage here in England.