{"product_id":"the-eccentric-billionaire-john-d-macarthur-empire-builder-reluctant-philanthropist-relentless-adversary-9780814408896","title":"The Eccentric Billionaire: John D. Macarthur - Empire Builder  Reluctant Philanthropist  Relentless Adversary","description":"\u003cp\u003eHe was hated  feared  and admired. The countrys second-richest man at the time of his death  John D. MacArthur (1897-1978) also became one of its great benefactors. Every year  some two dozen American writers  artists  intellectuals  and scientists receive as much as a half million dollars in grants knownas the \"genius awards\" from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. But MacArthur was not the benevolent figure you might expect. Stingier than J. Paul Getty  as money-obsessed as Howard Hughes  and as ruthless as Cornelius Vanderbilt  MacArthur was one of the most multi-layered men in business history. Now  in this first full biography of John D. MacArthur as he really was  Nancy Kriplen reveals the man behind the myth -- the often vulgar  sometimes unethical  always ambitious rogue who would become one of Americas wealthiest men. The Eccentric Billionaire chronicles how MacArthur amassed his fortune  rising from a poverty-saturated childhood as the son of a fire-and-brimstone preacher to become an insurance and real estate mogul. As sole owner of Bankers Life and Casualty  he also built a real estate empire that spanned the continent. Based on interviews with members of the MacArthur family as well as previously undiscovered letters and papers  this book reveals MacArthurs tumultuous private life  including his quickie divorce from his first wife and his Mexican marriage to Catherine  his brothers cute  clever teenage secretary who would help him on his climb to riches. The author also explores MacArthurs relationships with his family and friends  including his brother  the playwright Charles MacArthur  and sister-in-law  the great actress Helen Hayes. Extensively researched and beautifully written  The Eccentric Billionaire is a revealing look at a man whose influence has extended in ways he never dreamed.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45648091086901,"sku":"ByrdShop_0814408893","price":55.43,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780814408896.jpg?v=1781709160","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-eccentric-billionaire-john-d-macarthur-empire-builder-reluctant-philanthropist-relentless-adversary-9780814408896","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}