#9 Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes was an American billionaire business magnate most commonly known for his inventions in aeronautical engineering and his production of Hollywood films such as ‘Hell’s Angels’ (1930) and ‘Scarface’ (1932) and Academy Award Winner ‘Two Arabian Knights’ (1928).
Born in 1905 Hughes inherited his fathers successful family business Hughes Tool Company which specialized and held patents in commercial drilling equipment, specifically for the use of wildcatting. Hughes inherited his family fortune in 1924 at only 18 years of age. According to Hollywood Reporter, Hughes moved to Hollywood in 1926 where his uncle Rupert Hughes was already a successful screenwriter.
On July 11, 1936, Hughes was driving when he struck and killed pedestrian Gabriel Meyer. The details of the incident are conflicting; the hospital sites Hughes was sober at the time of the incident which contradicts an attending doctor who claims Mr. Hughes had been drinking alcohol. Howard Hughes was booked at the scene but released when attorney Neil McCarthy obtained “a writ of habeas corpus” for the producers release until the corner’s report. Howard Hughes attorney was Neil McCarthy, a Beverly Hills attorney who’s clients included Paramount Pictures, Ava Gardner and John Crawford.
Neil came from a legacy of attorneys, he was third generation according to his daughter Sharon Gless who is now the fourth generation entertainment lawyer in the family. At his time of Howard Hughes death in 1976 Hughes had a net worth of $1.5 billion. Today that figure is would be over $6.5 billion.
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