‘Queen of Mean’ has the last word

Posted on August 29, 2007 in National News Notes by DM

I failed to note last week that hotel baroness and convicted tax evader Leona Helmsley had died… but at the time, I didn’t really have any good links or anything to share that was worthwhile. Since that time, though, I found a great obituary and now today, a story about how her will specifies $12 million going to her dog and nothing for a couple of the grand-kids. “For reasons that are known to them,” she wrote. (While the bulk of her fortune is actually going to her charitable foundation, this is the woman who evicted her daughter-in-law after her son passed away some years ago… I’m betting those grand-kids have no idea why grandma chose to cut them out of the will.)

Now here’s the ethics question of the week: if you were appointed guardian of a dog that had just inherited $12 million, how long would it take before you found yourself ‘creatively justifying’ various things for yourself, because they help you care for the dog… like buying a new, bigger more comfortable house and yard, nicer vehicles in which to ride to the vet, etc.? Hey, I’m just asking, because I’m thinking “dog guardian” might be a lucrative line of work.

Share this with friends: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.