What was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ net worth?
Jacqueline Lee (Bouvier) Kennedy Onassis, also known as Jackie Kennedy, had a net worth of $150 million at the time of her death in 1994. She was the widow of John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States and served as the First Lady from 1961 until JFK’s assassination in 1963.
After JFK’s death, Jackie received several inheritances, including $26 million from Aristotle Onassis, a Greek shipping tycoon whom she married in 1968. In addition to her wealth, Jackie was known for her philanthropic work and was a prominent figure in American society.
Early Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was born in Southampton, New York on July 28, 1929. Her parents were wealthy due to her father’s inheritance and high-earning job as a stockbroker on Wall Street. However, her father’s gambling and drinking habits led to the family’s financial downfall and her parents’ divorce.
After the divorce, Jackie and her sister Caroline split their time between Virginia, Rhode Island, and New York. Caroline’s son later married Carole Ann DeFalco, now known as Carole Radziwill from Real Housewives of New York.
As a child, Jackie had a passion for horses and dreamed of becoming an equestrienne. She attended the Chapin School in New York during the Great Depression and later graduated from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. in 1951 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in French literature. Jackie and Caroline wrote a book together called “One Special Summer” after a trip to Europe in 1951, which included Jackie’s illustrations.
Jackie Kennedy’s Life and Marriage to John F. Kennedy
Jackie and John F. Kennedy were introduced in 1952 and married in 1953 at St. Mary’s Church in Newport, Rhode Island. They honeymooned in Acapulco, Mexico and had two children, Caroline and John Jr. John was elected President in 1960, making Jackie the third-youngest First Lady at age 31. As First Lady, Jackie was known for her social events, fashion sense, and work restoring the White House. She gave birth to Patrick in 1963, who tragically died two days after birth. Jackie became a widow and single mother of two children when John was assassinated in 1963.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Inheritance
After her husband’s death, Jackie inherited a Kennedy family trust that provided an annual income of $200,000, equivalent to $1.7 million today. The trust had a stipulation that if she were to remarry, the income would be transferred to their two children.
Jackie Kennedy’s Marriage to Aristotle Onassis
Jackie Kennedy married Aristotle Onassis, a Greek shipping tycoon, in 1968. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world at the time, with a fortune estimated at $500 million (equivalent to $4 billion today). To protect her Kennedy trust income, Jackie required Onassis to pay her $3 million before they married and also received a trust that paid her $150,000 per year for life. During their marriage, Jackie received extravagant gifts from her husband, including a $1 million (equivalent to $7.5 million today) 40-carat diamond ring on her 40th birthday. The couple owned six global residences, including a 15-room apartment in Manhattan and a private island in Greece. However, their marriage began to fall apart in 1973, around the time of Onassis’ fatal illness. He was concerned that Jackie would be entitled to half of his estate upon his death and lobbied for a change in Greek law to limit the amount a foreign spouse could receive. Onassis died in 1975, and Jackie and his daughter Christina fought over his estate. Jackie ultimately accepted a $26 million (equivalent to $120 million today) settlement, making her one of the richest women in America.
Death of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1994. She passed away peacefully in her sleep on May 19, 1994.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ Will and Estate
Jackie left her two children, JFK Jr and Caroline, a relatively-paltry $250,000 each in her will, despite their already substantial wealth from separate Kennedy family trusts. They also inherited several real estate properties, including a 15-room NYC apartment and a home on Martha’s Vineyard. Caroline sold the NYC apartment for $30 million in 2003, four years after JFK Jr’s death.
Jackie’s will also gave $500,000 to each of her sister’s children and established trusts that benefited a charitable foundation she created called the C&J Foundation.
In April 1996, JFK Jr and Caroline conducted an auction of their mother’s personal possessions, selling nearly 6,000 items for a total of $34.5 million. The highest-priced item sold at auction was the diamond engagement ring given to her by Aristotle, which fetched $2.6 million.
