Born: 23 November 1834, United States
Died: 3 July 1916
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Henrietta Howland Robinson
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Hetty Green was America’s wealthiest woman during the Gilded Age. Known as the “Queen of Wall Street,” she lent money at reasonable rates during financial crises and amassed a substantial fortune in a male-dominated financial world.
Despite her financial prowess, discreet generosity, and unique character, the media often portrayed her thriftiness as miserliness. Referred to as the Witch of Wall Street and listed as the “greatest miser” in the Guinness Book of World Records, her frugal habits clashed with the era’s excesses.
Hetty Green’s investment strategy was straightforward: she bought undervalued assets, like Civil War bonds and railroad stocks, and held onto them until their value rose significantly. Her annual profits in her first year in London reached $1.25 million, with a record daily earnings of $200,000. She believed in thorough research before making investment decisions.
She firmly believed that “Every woman should learn to manage her own financial affairs” and that “Every young woman, whether affluent or not, should possess knowledge of banking, mortgage and bond principles, and grasp the significance of interest and its accrual.”