Howard Hughes
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Tags: Business, Airplanes, OCD, Hollywood By: Richard |
Who is Howard?
"Whom the Gods would destroy they first make mad"...Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was born on December 24, 1905 in Humble, Texas. His parents were Howard R. Hughes, Sr. and Allene Gano Hughes. Howard Hughes, Sr. had patented the tri-cone roller bit, which allowed rotary drilling for oil in previously inaccessible places. The Hughes Tool Company commercialized the invention. The rotary bit was never sold but leased to oil companies and substantial royalties came to Hughes Tool.
Howard, Jr. grew up under the strong influence of his mother, who was obsessed with protecting her son from disease and germs. Howard, Jr. inherited an engineering aptitude from his father. Allene Hughes died in March 1922. In January 1924, Howard Hughes, Sr. died of a heart attack. On his 19th birthday, Howard, Jr. took 75% control of the Hughes Tool Company. In 1925 he married Ella Rice.
Early Life
In 1925 Howard went to Hollywood to make movies. Dismissed early on as a rich boy with no talent, Hughes produced movies that became classics: ‘The Front Page’, ‘Hell’s Angels’, ‘Scarface’, and ‘The Outlaw’.
Howard HughesHughes loved aviation. He was a self-taught aircraft engineer. He learned to fly at the Rogers Airport in Los Angeles, CA. Hughes went on to set many world speed records and he designed many planes (H-1 Racer, XF-11, and H-4 Hercules (Spruce Goose). Hughes was involved in a near-fatal crash in 1946 while piloting the XF-11. He crashed in the Beverly Hills neighborhood. He was pulled from the wreckage by Marine Master Sergeant William Durkin. Most felt Hughes would die but miraculously he survived. During this period of time, Hughes used morphine as a painkiller. This well might have been the beginning of his addiction to opiates. Also, Hughes wore a moustache after the crash to cover a scar on his upper lip.
Accomplishments
During the years of World War II Hughes contracted to build a troop transport aircraft (Hughes H-4 Hercules). It was completed after the War ended and flown only once on November 2, 1947. The Hercules flew for one mile.
In 1932, Hughes founded the Hughes Aircraft Company, a division of Hughes Tool Company. It became a major defense contractor.
In 1939, Hughes purchased a majority share of TWA stock for $7 million and took control of the airline. In 1966 Hughes was forced to sell his shares in TWA because of a conflict of interest between his ownership of both TWA and Hughes Aircraft. The sale of his shares netted Hughes a check in the amount of $547 million. At the time, it was the largest check ever written to an individual.
In 1948, Hughes purchased control of a struggling major Hollywood studio, RKO. In 1954, Hughes sold the studio to the General Tire and Rubber Company for $25 million.
In 1953, Hughes launched the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Chevy Chase, Maryland. In 2007, it had an endowment of $16.3 billion. It is America’s second largest private foundation.
Behavioral Disorders
Hughes developed two behavioral disorders: social avoidance behavior and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), In the 1930’s he was obsessed with the size of peas. He developed an aversion to shaking hands. He picked up objects and opened doors while holding tissues. He collected and saved his urine later in life. He kept a barber on call and had his hair cut once a year. Doctors were kept in house but seldom used. Hughes while, at one time, one of the most visible men in the world, giving no reason, he would disappear for long periods of time.
The Wealthiest Man
Despite his peculiar behavior, Hughes assembled a huge financial empire. It was originally managed by his close confidant, Noah Dietrich. After Dietrich left, Hughes hired former FBI agent Robert Maheu to manage his financial matters. In later years, Hughes’ inner circle was comprised of mainly Mormons( The Mormon Mafia) because he considered them trustworthy.
In 1967 Hughes bought his first casino in Las Vegas (The Desert Inn). Later he bought the Castaways, New Frontier, The Landmark Hotel and Casino, the Sands, and the Silver Slipper. Hughes was a chronic insomniac bought several TV stations in Las Vegas including KLAS-TV. Hughes was the major employer in Nevada.
Hughes died on April 5, 1976, on an aircraft en route from his penthouse in Acapulco, Mexico to The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. He was virtually unrecognizable. He was 6’4” tall and weighed 90 lbs. His hair, beard, fingernails, and toenails had grown grossly long. He was identified by his fingerprints. His cause of death was listed as kidney failure. He had suffered from severe malnutrition.
The world’s wealthiest man had died. Howard R. Hughes, Jr. was an industrialist, an aviator, an engineer, a film producer, and a film director. But even more than that Howard Hughes….. “he imagined a life without limits……he saw the future……and he lived the dream.” Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. became a hero to generations of young men who wanted to ‘reach the stars’!
"Whom the Gods would destroy they first make mad"...Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was born on December 24, 1905 in Humble, Texas. His parents were Howard R. Hughes, Sr. and Allene Gano Hughes. Howard Hughes, Sr. had patented the tri-cone roller bit, which allowed rotary drilling for oil in previously inaccessible places. The Hughes Tool Company commercialized the invention. The rotary bit was never sold but leased to oil companies and substantial royalties came to Hughes Tool.
Howard, Jr. grew up under the strong influence of his mother, who was obsessed with protecting her son from disease and germs. Howard, Jr. inherited an engineering aptitude from his father. Allene Hughes died in March 1922. In January 1924, Howard Hughes, Sr. died of a heart attack. On his 19th birthday, Howard, Jr. took 75% control of the Hughes Tool Company. In 1925 he married Ella Rice.
Early Life
In 1925 Howard went to Hollywood to make movies. Dismissed early on as a rich boy with no talent, Hughes produced movies that became classics: ‘The Front Page’, ‘Hell’s Angels’, ‘Scarface’, and ‘The Outlaw’.
Howard HughesHughes loved aviation. He was a self-taught aircraft engineer. He learned to fly at the Rogers Airport in Los Angeles, CA. Hughes went on to set many world speed records and he designed many planes (H-1 Racer, XF-11, and H-4 Hercules (Spruce Goose). Hughes was involved in a near-fatal crash in 1946 while piloting the XF-11. He crashed in the Beverly Hills neighborhood. He was pulled from the wreckage by Marine Master Sergeant William Durkin. Most felt Hughes would die but miraculously he survived. During this period of time, Hughes used morphine as a painkiller. This well might have been the beginning of his addiction to opiates. Also, Hughes wore a moustache after the crash to cover a scar on his upper lip.
Accomplishments
During the years of World War II Hughes contracted to build a troop transport aircraft (Hughes H-4 Hercules). It was completed after the War ended and flown only once on November 2, 1947. The Hercules flew for one mile.
In 1932, Hughes founded the Hughes Aircraft Company, a division of Hughes Tool Company. It became a major defense contractor.
In 1939, Hughes purchased a majority share of TWA stock for $7 million and took control of the airline. In 1966 Hughes was forced to sell his shares in TWA because of a conflict of interest between his ownership of both TWA and Hughes Aircraft. The sale of his shares netted Hughes a check in the amount of $547 million. At the time, it was the largest check ever written to an individual.
In 1948, Hughes purchased control of a struggling major Hollywood studio, RKO. In 1954, Hughes sold the studio to the General Tire and Rubber Company for $25 million.
In 1953, Hughes launched the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Chevy Chase, Maryland. In 2007, it had an endowment of $16.3 billion. It is America’s second largest private foundation.
Behavioral Disorders
Hughes developed two behavioral disorders: social avoidance behavior and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), In the 1930’s he was obsessed with the size of peas. He developed an aversion to shaking hands. He picked up objects and opened doors while holding tissues. He collected and saved his urine later in life. He kept a barber on call and had his hair cut once a year. Doctors were kept in house but seldom used. Hughes while, at one time, one of the most visible men in the world, giving no reason, he would disappear for long periods of time.
The Wealthiest Man
Despite his peculiar behavior, Hughes assembled a huge financial empire. It was originally managed by his close confidant, Noah Dietrich. After Dietrich left, Hughes hired former FBI agent Robert Maheu to manage his financial matters. In later years, Hughes’ inner circle was comprised of mainly Mormons( The Mormon Mafia) because he considered them trustworthy.
In 1967 Hughes bought his first casino in Las Vegas (The Desert Inn). Later he bought the Castaways, New Frontier, The Landmark Hotel and Casino, the Sands, and the Silver Slipper. Hughes was a chronic insomniac bought several TV stations in Las Vegas including KLAS-TV. Hughes was the major employer in Nevada.
Hughes died on April 5, 1976, on an aircraft en route from his penthouse in Acapulco, Mexico to The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. He was virtually unrecognizable. He was 6’4” tall and weighed 90 lbs. His hair, beard, fingernails, and toenails had grown grossly long. He was identified by his fingerprints. His cause of death was listed as kidney failure. He had suffered from severe malnutrition.
The world’s wealthiest man had died. Howard R. Hughes, Jr. was an industrialist, an aviator, an engineer, a film producer, and a film director. But even more than that Howard Hughes….. “he imagined a life without limits……he saw the future……and he lived the dream.” Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. became a hero to generations of young men who wanted to ‘reach the stars’!
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