Notorious Facts About William Randolph Hearst, The King Of Scandal
In the early 20th century, no man was as infamous as William Randolph Hearst. The tycoon gobbled up newspapers and splashed starlets and scandals all over his headlines—but nothing compared to his own dark bedroom secrets.
From illicit mistresses to an unsolved mystery, here are 43 facts about William Randolph Hearst.
1. Golden Boy
Some tycoons are born into poverty and claw their way up the ladder—but not William Randolph Hearst. Born in 1863, he was the son of the millionaire engineer George Hearst and his, ahem, much younger wife Phoebe Apperson Hearst. Baby William had more than just a silver spoon in his mouth: his father mined gold.
2. Citizen Will
These days, many people’s knowledge about William Randolph Hearst comes from Orson Welles’ classic film Citizen Kane, which is loosely (and very notoriously) based on his life. But while Citizen Kane has gone down in movie history for showcasing some of Hearst’s bizarre acts, his real life was even darker and stranger.
3. Pics Please
According to one legend, Hearst wasn’t above war-mongering to get his way. When the Cuban War of Independence happened in the late 19th-century, Hearst sent illustrator Frederic Remington to cover the events.
When Remington later cabled his boss and said that nothing much was happening on the front, Hearst’s response was utterly chilling.
"Please remain.” He allegedly said, “You furnish the pictures and I'll furnish the war.”
4. School Daze
Like any good little rich boy, Hearst enjoyed the best education money could buy as he was growing up. He not only attended the prestigious St. Paul’s prep school in New Hampshire, he also got into Harvard University in the class of 1885. Whether that was on his own merits or his daddy’s money is up for debate…
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