Gilded Lily

by Vincent, Isabel

• ISBN13: 9780061133930
• ISBN10: 0061133930
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-01-01
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

Summary

The mesmerizing biography of one of the world's richest, most intriguing women-philanthropist and socialite Lily Safra. In the early morning of December 3, 1999, Lily Safra stood shivering in her nightgown on the grounds outside her sumptuous Monte Carlo penthouse where, just hours before, her fourth husband, reclusive billionaire Edmond Safra, died in a fire. An American nurse employed by the Safra family was eventually convicted of the arson death. Overnight, Lily became one of the wealthiest widows in the world. The Brazilian-born Lily Safra was no stranger to tragedy. In 1969, her second husband, the Brazilian multimillionaire Alfredo Monteverde, died from two gunshots to the chest. The Brazilian authorities ruled it a suicide. In 1989, her beloved eldest son and four-year-old grandson died in a car accident. But just who is Lily Safra? Despite having become a fixture in society columns for her generous charity work and lavish parties, the elegant and enigmatic widow has remained in the background. Gilded Lily tells Lily Safra's story for the first time. Using archival sources, court documents, and interviews with childhood friends and former employees in South America, investigative journalist Isabel Vincent chronicle's Safra's rise from humble origins in Brazil to fabled wealth in London, New York, and Monaco.

Table of Contents

Introduction: ôThe Plot of a Great Novelö	p. 1
ôThe Most Elegant Girlö	p. 17
ôEverything in Its Placeö	p. 37
ôShe Behaved Beautifullyö	p. 65
ôEdmond Said He Would Fix Everythingö	p. 97
Two Weddings	p. 131
ôThe Billionaires' Clubö	p. 165
ôWhen I Give Lily a Dollar, Lily Spends Two Dollarsö	p. 203
ôNot Our Faultö	p. 227
ôYears of Sorrow and Days of Despairö	p. 251
Epilogue: ôWe Know Everything and we Know Nothingö	p. 275
Acknowledgments	p. 293
Notes	p. 299
Index	p. 317
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