Overview

Hotel operator Leona Mindy Roberts Helmsley became a billionaire in 1997 when she

 inherited the fortune of her late husband, real estate entrepreneur Harry Helmsley worth 2.2 billions.

More popularly, she was known for her controversial personality, arising directly out of her habit of throwing away a string of notorious quotes and airy tantrums.

Despite her very recent philanthropic contributions, she could never shake off her tag of notoriety in her entire lifetime.

Education   

Leona Mindy was a high school diploma holder as she started early to look for her fortune.

Business/Career

Leona started her career by joining a sewing factory that she quitted directly to be a part of a New York real estate firm of which she later became the vice-president and subsequently a millionaire.

Then she stepped in to the career of a real estate salesperson, working for Abe Hirschfeld to sell co-ops. She remained a condominium broker, met entrepreneur Harry Helmsley and soon joined his brokerage firm named Brown, Harris, Stevens.

Under her influence her future husband Harry Helmsley started converting apartment buildings into condominiums and hence started the second phase of Leona’s career in hotels.

Apart from founding the Helmsley Palace, together they built a real estate property in New York.

Real estate owned

Along with her husband, Leona Helmsley owned real estate property in the Empire State Building, the Tudor City apartment complex and Helmsley-Spear.

Other prominent involvement

Although known for her ill temper, misquotes and rude behavior, property baroness Leona Helmsley donated $5 million for the relief of the Hurricane Katrina victims.

Controversy

More than her real estate business, Leona Helmsley was known as a queen of controversy because of her inhospitable behavior. But her most controversial moment came when she infamously boasted that "We don't pay taxes.

Only the little people pay taxes ..." and was investigated for federal income tax evasion and other related crimes in 1989. She received a 16 years sentence but ultimately served 19 months in prison with two months house arrest.

She also created a bad reputation for herself for reportedly misbehaving with hotel employees just before terminating their services.

She also fired personnel at random at the slightest pretext. She also dirtied up personal affairs when she threw out the widow of her from their real estate residence when only son Jay Panzirer died in 1982 of heart attack. The long legal battle left Mimi totally bankrupt.

Personal life
  
Leona Mindy Roberts Helmsley (July 4, 1920 – August 20, 2007) was actually a hat-maker’s daughter and was born in New York to Polish Jewish immigrants.

Her family shifted several times finally to settle in Manhattan. She also changed her name from Lee Roberts, Mindy Roberts, Leni Roberts to Leona Mindy Roberts.

She married three times, first to attorney Leo Panzirer, then garment industry executive Joseph Lubin and finally property business baron Harry Helmsley. Her only son was Jay Panzirer from her first marriage.

Trivia

• Leona Helmsley was nicknamed ‘Mean Queen’ for her petulance and hostile conduct.

• Herself a chain smoker, Leona made illegitimate claims of featuring in the billboard advertisement of Chesterfield cigarette.

• After Jay’s death Leona sued her son's estate for money and property that she claimed he had borrowed, giving his wife Mimi an eviction notice.

References/Links

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/10/Real_Estate_Rank_1.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leona_Helmsley

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?GRid=21034267&page=gr

Leona Mindy Rosenthal Helmsley