Doris Duke

Doris Duke
Doris Duke
Born	November 22, 1912 (age 113); New York City, U.S.
Died	October 28, 1993 (aged 80)
Occupation(s)	Tobacco heiress, philanthropist, socialite
Known for	Philanthropy, preservation of historic structures, Duke Gardens, Newport Restoration Foundation

Doris Duke (November 22, 1912 – October 28, 1993) was a prominent American tobacco heiress, philanthropist, and socialite, frequently described as "the richest girl in the world." Her vast fortune, opulent lifestyle, and personal affairs garnered significant media coverage both during her life and posthumously.

Duke’s pursuits were varied. In the 1940s, she briefly served as a news correspondent, played jazz piano, and competed in surfing. At her father’s estate in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey, she developed one of the nation’s most extensive indoor botanical exhibits. She also dedicated herself to preserving more than 80 historic structures in Newport, Rhode Island, establishing the Newport Restoration Foundation in 1968. Notably, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis acted as vice president and advocate for this foundation.

Her philanthropic efforts emphasized HIV/AIDS research, medical advancements, child welfare programs, and educational opportunities for underprivileged Black students in the American South. With an estimated net worth of billion (equivalent to $ billion today), much of her wealth was donated to charitable causes. The Doris Duke Foundation continues to uphold her legacy by supporting initiatives in medical research, child and animal welfare, performing arts, wildlife preservation, and environmental conservation.

Early life

Born in New York City, Duke was the sole offspring of tobacco magnate James Buchanan Duke and his second wife, Nanaline Holt Inman, widow of William Patterson Inman. Upon James Duke’s passing in 1925, his will allocated the majority of his assets to his wife and daughter, alongside a $17 million endowment to The Duke Endowment, established in 1924. The estate’s value ranged from $60 to $100 million (approximately $1.0 billion to over $1 billion today), primarily stemming from holdings in the American Tobacco Company, which preceded Duke Power Company.

Her formative years were spent at Duke Farms, her father’s expansive 2,700-acre property in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey. Due to uncertainties surrounding James Duke’s will, a lawsuit was initiated in 1927 to halt the sale of certain real estate assets; Doris Duke successfully challenged her mother and executors to prevent these transactions. Among the key properties was the James B. Duke House on Manhattan’s East 78th Street, later repurposed as the home of the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University.

Adult life

At age 18 in 1930, standing six feet tall, Duke was introduced as a debutante during a ball held at Rough Point, the family residence in Newport, Rhode Island. She inherited substantial sums from her father’s estate at ages 21, 25, and 30, earning her the moniker "world’s richest girl." The death of her mother in 1962 further increased her wealth by adding jewelry, a coat collection, and $250 million.

Duke leveraged her fortune to explore international travel and immerse herself in the arts. She studied vocal performance under Estelle Liebling in New York City. During World War II, she worked for a nominal salary at an Egyptian sailors’ canteen. Proficient in French, she briefly took on roles as a foreign correspondent for International News Service across post-war Europe and later contributed writings to Harper's Bazaar while residing in Paris.

While living in Hawaii, she became the first woman outside Hawaii to compete in surfing competitions under the mentorship of Olympic swimmer Duke Kahanamoku. A devoted animal enthusiast, she supported wildlife sanctuaries and had a particular affection for dogs and pet camels.

Her passion for horticulture led to a friendship with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Bromfield; she funded efforts to preserve his Malabar Farm estate in Ohio, which is now incorporated into Malabar Farm State Park with a woodland area named after her.

At age 46, she initiated the development of Duke Gardens at Duke Farms in New Jersey as a tribute to her father James Buchanan Duke. She expanded upon existing greenhouses originally designed by Horace Trumbauer on the property. The eleven interconnected gardens were themed recreations inspired by her travels abroad and Longwood Gardens. Construction commenced in 1958; Duke frequently dedicated up to sixteen hours daily overseeing design and implementation.

A lifelong pianist with an appreciation for jazz music, Duke cultivated friendships with numerous jazz artists and performed gospel singing. She accumulated an extensive collection focusing on Islamic and Southeast Asian art. In 2014, sixty items from this collection were showcased at the University of Michigan Museum of Art in an exhibition titled "Doris Duke's Shangri La," organized by her foundation. Her collection remains accessible to the public at her former Honolulu residence, now managed by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.

Homes

Duke's main dwelling was Duke Farms, the expansive 2,700-acre estate in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey inherited from her father. There, she established Duke Gardens, an extensive indoor botanical exhibit open to the public, recognized as one of the largest in the nation.

During summer months, she resided at Rough Point, a 49-room English-style mansion in Newport, Rhode Island passed down through her family, where she supported various Newport Restoration Foundation initiatives. Her winters were split between "Shangri La" in Honolulu, Hawaii, an estate constructed by her in the 1930s, and "Falcon Lair" located in Los Angeles' Benedict Canyon, previously owned by Rudolph Valentino. Additionally, Duke possessed two apartments in Manhattan: a nine-room penthouse at 475 Park Avenue featuring a veranda—later acquired by journalist Cindy Adams—and another near Times Square that functioned solely as an office for overseeing her financial dealings.

She also owned a custom-equipped Boeing 737 outfitted with a bedroom designed to resemble a home environment, facilitating travel between her various residences and art acquisition trips.

As an engaged property owner, Duke took an active role in maintaining her estates, including climbing scaffolding to clean murals at Shangri La and working alongside gardeners at Duke Farms.

At present, three of Duke's former homes are administered by branches of the Doris Duke Foundation and offer limited public access: Duke Farms is managed by the Duke Farms Foundation and provides a video tour of Duke Gardens; Rough Point was transferred to the Newport Restoration Foundation in 1999 and opened for public visitation in 2000; Shangri-La is operated under the auspices of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.

Death of Eduardo Tirella

In 1966, Eduardo Tirella, who had served as Duke's art curator for ten years, decided to leave to pursue a career in Hollywood production design. On October 6, he visited Duke at Rough Point to collect his belongings and inform her of his plans. Friends cautioned him that Duke might react negatively. The following day, staff overheard a heated dispute prior to their departure in a rented Dodge Polara.

According to Duke’s account, Tirella was driving and stopped to open the gate while leaving the engine running with the parking brake engaged and transmission in park. She stated that she moved into the driver’s seat intending to assist him, released the brake, shifted into drive but mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake. The vehicle then allegedly pinned Tirella against the gate, knocking it down and crashing into a tree. Tirella was discovered trapped beneath the car on Bellevue Avenue and succumbed to fatal injuries.

Following a brief inquiry, Newport police classified the incident as accidental. Nevertheless, evidence challenged Duke’s version of events. Tirella’s family pursued a wrongful death lawsuit and were awarded $75,000—later reduced—with negligence determined after a trial five years later. The compensation was divided among his eight siblings.

In 2020, journalist Peter Lance revisited the case in an article for Vanity Fair. He uncovered missing police records and court transcripts but managed to obtain some documents indicating an investigation compromised by conflicts of interest. Notably, Duke had employed the medical examiner as her personal physician prior to his hospital arrival, invoking doctor-patient privilege over her statements.

Lance identified discrepancies in Duke’s narrative: releasing the parking brake was deemed unlikely; all injuries were located above Tirella’s waistline, suggesting he was not trapped between car and gate; deep tire tread marks indicated significant acceleration inconsistent with an accidental gas pedal press. Experts concluded that Duke likely ran over Tirella intentionally out of anger regarding his departure. Evidence suggests she struck him outside the gates initially and then ran over him again after he fell onto the roadway.

In response to the incident, Duke intensified her philanthropic activities in Newport, including funding repairs to the Cliff Walk, donating $10,000 to the hospital involved that evening, and founding the Newport Restoration Foundation, which restored 84 colonial-era structures. The police chief retired shortly thereafter amid controversy; his successor was the detective who led the investigation rather than his superior officer. Local opinion persists that Duke’s wealth influenced a cover-up through “blood money.”

Personal life

Duke entered into matrimony twice during her lifetime. Her initial marriage, contracted in 1935, was with James H. R. Cromwell, the son of Eva Stotesbury and stepson to financier Edward T. Stotesbury. Sharing similar political views as a New Deal supporter, Cromwell leveraged Duke's wealth to advance his political ambitions, which included a short appointment as U.S. Ambassador to Canada in 1940 and an unsuccessful bid for the Senate. The couple had a daughter named Arden, who tragically passed away soon after a premature birth in 1940. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1943. Later, in 1988, Duke legally adopted Chandi Heffner, then aged 32, in Hawaii.

On September 1, 1947, Duke became the third spouse of Dominican diplomat Porfirio Rubirosa in Paris. She reportedly paid $1 million to secure an uncontested divorce from his second wife. Given Duke's considerable fortune, the U.S. State Department kept close surveillance on their union due to concerns over foreign influence and mandated a prenuptial contract. Throughout their short-lived marriage, Duke bestowed upon Rubirosa millions in gifts, including luxury items and a Paris estate. Their divorce was finalized in October 1948; Duke did not enter into any further marriages.

In 1965, Duke took responsibility for Walker Inman Jr., the orphaned son of her half-brother. Despite this guardianship, she lacked parenting experience and eventually placed him in boarding school.

Duke was known for her numerous high-profile romantic involvements with notable individuals such as surfer Duke Kahanamoku, actor Errol Flynn, British politician Alec Cunningham-Reid, General George S. Patton, jazz pianist Joe Castro, Naval aviator James W. Robb, and author Louis Bromfield.

In 1988, she posted bail amounting to $5 million for her friend, former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos, who faced racketeering charges.

That same year, at age 75, Duke formally adopted Chandi Heffner, a 35-year-old follower of the Hare Krishna movement with ties to billionaire Nelson Peltz. Initially, Duke asserted that Heffner was the reincarnation of her late daughter Arden; however, their relationship deteriorated over time. Ultimately, Heffner was excluded from Duke’s trusts and the adoption was annulled by Duke’s final will.

Net worth

Duke benefited as the life tenant of two trust funds established by her father, James Buchanan Duke, in 1917 and 1924. Upon his death, his estate was valued at $100 million, with the majority allocated to Duke and her mother. Nanaline Duke, recognized as an astute businesswoman often likened to Hetty Green, bequeathed an estate estimated at $250 million to her daughter upon passing in 1962.

Her portfolio included substantial shares in major corporations such as General Motors, managed by an extensive financial team overseeing her investments. Among her possessions were a prized art collection containing masterpieces by Picasso, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Monet alongside significant Islamic and Southeast Asian artworks and furnishings. Additionally, she owned more than 2,000 bottles of rare wine valued at over $5 million and an impressive assortment of fine jewelry. Altogether, her net worth encompassing all assets was approximated at $5.3 billion.

Philanthropy

At the age of 21 in 1934, Duke founded Independent Aid, Inc., an organization designed to handle requests for financial assistance. In 1958, she created the Duke Gardens Foundation to maintain the public display gardens at Duke Farms—an embodiment of the Duke family’s dedication to philanthropy and cultural enrichment. The gardens later became subject to controversy when trustees of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation opted to close them in 2008.

In 1963, she financed Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram located in Uttar Pradesh, India—a site that attracted worldwide attention when the Beatles studied there five years later.

Duke also established the Newport Restoration Foundation in 1968 with the goal of preserving over eighty colonial-era buildings in Newport. Her friend and former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis served as vice president of the foundation and publicly endorsed its mission. Among the historic properties under its stewardship are Rough Point, Samuel Whitehorne House, and others; seventy-one structures are leased commercially while five operate as museums.

Her extensive travels cultivated a deep appreciation for diverse cultures and led to an important collection of Islamic and Southeast Asian art that was donated after her passing to The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and the Walters Art Museum.

Duke was also a significant supporter of medical research initiatives and child welfare programs. In the late 1980s, she contributed $2 million to Duke University specifically for AIDS research efforts. Independent Aid evolved into what is now known as the Doris Duke Foundation—a private grant-making organization that remains active today. Following her death, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation was created in 1996 to administer national grant programs and oversee maintenance of her estates: Shangri La, Rough Point, and Duke Farms.

Death

At the age of 79 in 1992, Duke underwent a facelift and, while under medication, experienced a fall that resulted in a broken hip. In 1993, she had two knee replacement operations, one in January and another in July. Just one day after being discharged from the second procedure, she suffered a major stroke and passed away at her Falcon Lair residence in Los Angeles on October 28, 1993, at the age of 80. The official cause of death was progressive pulmonary edema that led to cardiac arrest.

Duke was cremated within a day of her passing, with her ashes dispersed into the Pacific Ocean according to her testament. Despite speculation about suicide or foul play stemming from her frequently revised wills, no criminal investigations ensued.

Will

Upon her passing, Duke’s estate was valued at more than $1.2 billion (in 1993 dollars). Trust funds created by her father were earmarked for any offspring. Although her adoption of Chandi Heffner was legally invalidated, the estate settled Heffner’s legal claim with a $65 million payment. Additionally, Duke established a $7 million trust for her nephew, Walker Inman Jr.

Nearly all of Duke’s wealth was bequeathed to charitable organizations, and she named her butler, Bernard Lafferty, as executor alongside U.S. Trust acting as corporate co-executor. Lafferty and Marion Oates Charles served as trustees.

The will faced numerous legal challenges. Harry Demopoulos, who had been designated executor in an earlier version of the will, contested Lafferty’s role, alleging undue influence exerted over a sedated Duke. Nurse Tammy Payette accused Lafferty and Dr. Charles Kivowitz of accelerating Duke’s death through drug administration; however, the Los Angeles District Attorney found no proof of wrongdoing.

Duke University sought to increase its inheritance beyond the $10 million initially left but risked forfeiting its claim due to a clause penalizing beneficiaries who contested the will.

The estate’s settlement was delayed nearly three years amid litigation involving around 40 attorneys from ten firms. New York courts removed Lafferty for misappropriating estate funds and held U.S. Trust accountable for failing to act appropriately. In 1996, Manhattan Surrogate Court invalidated Duke’s will and appointed new trustees: Demopoulos, J. Carter Brown, Marion Oates Charles, attorney James Gill, Duke University president Nannerl O. Keohane, and Morgan Stanley president John J. Mack.

Legal expenses surpassed $10 million and were covered by the estate. The appointed trustees gained control over all assets of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF), which supports initiatives in medical research, opposition to vivisection, welfare for children and animals, performing arts, wildlife preservation, and environmental conservation.

The DDCF also oversees funding for three foundations managing Duke’s former residences: the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, Duke Farms, and Newport Restoration Foundation. Over time, trustees reduced financial support for these entities citing that Duke’s legacy reflects "the Duke family history of personal passions and conspicuous consumption." Consequently, some properties were sold off and Duke Gardens was closed.

In 2004, Christie’s auction house conducted a three-day event in New York titled "The Doris Duke Collection" to benefit the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The sale was accompanied by an extensive catalog exceeding 600 pages.

Biographical Works

Stephanie Mansfield authored The Richest Girl in the World (Putnam, 1994)
Pony Duke, Doris Duke’s disinherited nephew, and Jason Thomas wrote Too Rich: The Family Secrets of Doris Duke (1996)
Ted Schwarz, alongside Tom Rybak and a member of Duke’s staff, produced Trust No One (1997)
Sallie Bingham published The Silver Swan: In Search of Doris Duke (2020)

Film and Television Adaptations

The 1999 television miniseries Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke featured Lauren Bacall portraying Duke and Richard Chamberlain as Lafferty
Bernard and Doris (2007), an HBO film, starred Susan Sarandon and Ralph Fiennes
The 2018 Mexican web series Rubirosa included Katarina Čas in the role of Duke
As the Money Burns (2020–present), a historical podcast examining the Great Depression through the perspectives of heirs, covers multiple episodes on Doris Duke’s life events including her father’s passing

References

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Bibliography

Further reading

External links