As wealth whisperers help the rich, one rebel gave it all away
A service industry has sprung up to help wealthy families preserve their fortune through the generations, but Austrian heiress Marlene Engelhorn had other ideas.
A service industry has sprung up to help rich families survive the challenges thrown at them – and preserve their wealth. Bethany Rae
Marlene Engelhorn first understood that her family was wealthy when she noticed how much larger their house was than those of her childhood friends. “We called it a big house,” she says. “But it’s a mansion for crying out loud. Call it what it is.”
Growing up, her family’s financial adviser was such a constant presence that she thought he was her uncle. She didn’t know exactly how rich her family was, however, until she was 27, when she was told she would inherit a €25 million ($49.3 million) fortune from her grandmother. The money was no longer just part of the ambience, it was hers.
