Gloria Vanderbilt was an American socialite, fashion designer, artist, author and entrepreneur who had an estimated net worth of $1 million at the time of her death in 2019. Although she was born into one of America’s wealthiest families, much of her inherited fortune disappeared over the years because of poor investments, legal battles, tax issues and financial mismanagement.
Despite her famous last name, Vanderbilt often said that the money she earned through her own work meant more to her than her inheritance. She built a successful fashion empire during the late 1970s and 1980s, with her signature designer jeans becoming a global sensation.
| Gloria Vanderbilt Net Worth | $1 Million |
| Date of Birth | Feb 20, 1924 |
| Place of Birth | New York City |
Fashion Career Made Gloria Vanderbilt Millions
Although she was already famous as a member of the Vanderbilt family, Gloria became a business success through fashion.
She entered the fashion industry in the mid-1970s after licensing her artwork for designer scarves. She later partnered with designer Mohan Murjani to launch a line of signature jeans featuring her name embroidered on the back pocket.
The jeans became one of the biggest fashion trends of the 1980s, making Vanderbilt one of the first celebrities to successfully build a designer clothing brand.
At the height of the brand’s popularity, she reportedly earned around $10 million in royalties in 1980 alone, equivalent to roughly $30 million today after inflation.
Her business later expanded into:
- Designer dresses
- Shoes
- Bedding
- Home products
- Fragrances
- Accessories
Between 1982 and 2002, L’Oréal produced several perfumes under the Gloria Vanderbilt name, further increasing her earnings.
Born Into the Vanderbilt Fortune
Gloria Laura Vanderbilt was born on February 20, 1924, in New York City.
Her father, Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt, died when she was just 18 months old, leaving her a trust fund worth $5 million—equivalent to roughly $70 million today.
However, her inheritance quickly became the center of a famous custody battle between her mother, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt, and her aunt, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, founder of the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Whitney eventually gained custody of Gloria and took control of the trust fund, ending one of the most widely publicized family court cases of the 1930s.
Financial Problems and Legal Battles
Despite earning millions during her career, Vanderbilt experienced major financial setbacks.
During the early 1990s, she sued her lawyer Thomas Andrews and psychiatrist Dr. Christ Zois, accusing them of taking control of her finances and selling valuable business assets without her approval.
Although she won a court judgment worth nearly $1.8 million, she never recovered most of the money.
She also faced serious tax problems after unpaid federal taxes accumulated to around $2.5 million, forcing her to sell several properties to settle the debt.
These setbacks significantly reduced her wealth later in life.
Career Beyond Fashion
Before becoming a fashion icon, Vanderbilt pursued careers in acting and art.
She appeared on stage and television during the 1950s and 1960s before turning her attention to painting. Her artwork was featured in galleries and licensed for greeting cards, home décor and textiles.
She also became an accomplished author, publishing memoirs, novels and books about art and design. Later in life, she collaborated with Anderson Cooper on the bestselling memoir The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss.
In 2016, the pair also starred in the HBO documentary Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt & Anderson Cooper.
Personal Life
Gloria Vanderbilt married four times.
Her first marriage to Hollywood agent Pat DiCicco ended after she later accused him of domestic abuse.
She subsequently married legendary conductor Leopold Stokowski, with whom she had two sons. After divorcing him, she married director Sidney Lumet before later marrying author Wyatt Emory Cooper.
She and Wyatt had two sons, Carter Cooper and Anderson Cooper. Carter died in 1988, while Anderson went on to become one of CNN’s most recognized journalists.
Following Wyatt’s death in 1978, Vanderbilt had a long relationship with photographer and filmmaker Gordon Parks and was also romantically linked to several famous figures, including Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando and Howard Hughes.
Death and Estate
Gloria Vanderbilt died from stomach cancer on June 17, 2019, at the age of 95.
Although Anderson Cooper had previously said there would be no large inheritance, Vanderbilt left him the majority of her remaining estate. Her oldest son, Leopold “Stan” Stokowski, inherited one of her Manhattan apartments, while another son, Christopher Stokowski, who had been estranged from the family for many years, was not included in her will.
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