Hospital Coerces Heiress to Donate Millions

During Huguette Clark’s 20 year stay at Manhattan’s BethIsrael Medical Center, hospital officials continuously pressed the copperheiress to give the hospital a piece of her large fortune.

After arriving at Beth Israel in 1991 for skin cancertreatments, the reclusive Clark decided to stay at the hospital until her deathin 2011 at age 104.  Clark was not inneed of continuous care, but officials were afraid to “evict” her for fear oflosing any chance of donations.  Just months after her arrival, hospital officials showeredher with gifts, pushed her to make a will, and even hired researchers so theycould hone their donation pitch. 

Clark did end up donating at least $4 million in gifts, notincluding the millions she paid just to live there.  Clark also gave the hospital a Manetpainting, which sold for “only” $3.5 million.  Her doctor joked in an email that Clark “didn’ttake the bait and offer a half-dozen more” paintings when he told her the disappointingprice the painting sold for.

Relatives of Clark are contesting her final will, whichbequeaths $1 million to Beth Israel and replaces a will she wrotemonths earlier that included the relatives.

See AnemonaHartocollis, Hospital Caring for anHeiress Pressed Her to Give Lavishly, The New York Times, May 29, 2013.