         These are true stories of men and women who have been challenged by (and who, often enough, have chosen to challenge) the wealth that has become theirs by virtue of inheritance. They have been born to the bright promise of money, but have also learned that such a lot is not without plenty of potential hazards, if not outright dangers. It is, I fear, all too easy for many of us who have never faced this particular kind of situation to be somewhat skeptical of the very real threats it can pose.
- Robert Coles, author of Children of Crisis series from the foreword to The Legacy of Inherited Wealth |
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I N T R O D U C T I O N p a g e 2
As a middle-aged wife and mother of two, Andrea still associates wealth with those happy memories. Her own life now reflects the generosity and open-heartedness she appreciated in her grandmother: "I give a lot of my money away. My accountants tell me I give a much greater percentage every year than I should. I love being able to do that. And I do a lot of volunteer work for an AIDS agency here in New York. Five years ago I met a guy with AIDS through the agency. He was drinking, he was on the streets, in mental hospitals, on drugs. He has Rastafarian hair and can hardly read or write. But we made a heart connection and have become really good friends. We call each other 'The Odd Couple.' God, he has taught me so much about someone who is not like me!"
Being a wealthy woman has not kept Andrea from making fruitful connections with people of very different backgrounds. Nor has it felt like a burden in any other respect. For Andrea, coming into money has been an unadulterated boon: "For me, there isn't a 'hardest thing' about having wealth. It isn't hard. I sometimes wish I had more money so I could give even more away. I can help people with it, and I can enjoy myself. I don't have to worry. I can buy more art! The best thing for me is the security and being able to give that to my kids. What could be better?"
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