TWA (Trans World Airlines) and Hughes Aircraft Company were two of the numerous companies that legendary multi billionaire Howard Hughes owned and built up into great organisations. An intelligent, hardworking and a result oriented person, Hughes ran a complex business empire achieving both personal and professional fame in numerous fields. He made significant industrial and aircraft innovations and broke several aviation speed records.
Howard Hughes an American aviator, engineer, industrialist, film producer and director, philanthropist, died in April 1976 under mysterious circumstances leaving behind an estate worth US$ 2.5 Billion, making him one of the richest men in the world at that time.
Hughes lived and worked in a manner and for results that challenged and pleased him. Brilliant and creative he was anything but conventional. His so called ‘eccentricity’ is evident in the manner he responded when awarded with the United States Congressional gold medal for his outstanding contribution to the advancement of aircraft technology. Hughes never even bothered to travel to Washington to collect the medal. Finally it was mailed to him by President Truman six months later.
Creative and brilliant people by nature are different. If one is wealthy, powerful or both this abnormal behaviour is tolerated and often even admired. After all the distance between genius and insanity is often measured by success.
Like all brilliant people Hughes loved to spend time alone, contemplating solutions to challenges he set himself. He shunned interruptions by visitors, telephone calls etc. Months would go by without even a glimpse of him by the outside world. Hughes let his aides handle all matters on his behalf. After a while the media which is more interested in entertainment than the pursuit of truth, lost most of its interest in Howard Hughes classifying him as a recluse.
By his 50th birthday Hughes empire had expanded considerably yet Hughes the individual was completely out of the public eye. To the world at large it appeared this was the lifestyle that Hughes himself had chosen, but in fact his aides took over his life completely. It is believed that Hughes was drugged and forcibly isolated from the world and made a prisoner in his own home. Issuing instructions and managing resources in his name, his aides became the de-facto owners.
To keep Hughes unsettled, homes, the environment and staff were constantly changed. It was impossible for any outsider to get a fix on what really was happening in the life of Howard Hughes. His aides had become Howard Hughes for all practical purposes. Even when he did appear in public Hughes was no more than a fragment of his former self. He appeared uneasy, confused and listless.
When brought to the hospital upon his death, Hughes appeared to be seriously ill and totally malnourished (his tall 6'4" frame weighed only 41 kgs). He had long finger and toe nails and had serious hygiene issues.
Subsequent to his death a mysterious handwritten will appeared. This will granted US$ 470 million to his aides and the remaining US$ 2 Billion to other individuals and institutions. The will was subsequently found to have been fraudulently drawn up and was dismissed. It did however show the aides in poor light.
In the ultimate, Howard Hughes was a multi billionaire only in name. He was no longer free and had to live a wretched life, imprisoned and trapped by his own aides and betrayed by the very people he chose to protect him.
This kind of situation is more common than one expects. This misfortune also befalls many rich elderly people when they become physically or mentally weak and become dependent on their aides. The caretakers isolate them and then manipulate them until they have sucked out all they can from the hapless individual before allowing them to pass on.
Most people spend a lifetime breaking their backs to create wealth and make savings so that they can live their old age with dignity and comfort and provide for their dependents. However only fortunate people live to enjoy the fruits of their earnings or inheritance. The unlucky ones share the fate of Howard Hughes.
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