Bizarre Facts About Eccentric Billionaire Howard Hughes

From failed marriage proposals to crashed planes, Howard Hughes lead a crazy life. And that’s only the beginning, because despite his wealth that stemmed from multiple sources, like real estate, filmmaking and aviation, Hughes had an eccentric personality and often lived as a recluse.

Find out more about the one-of-a-kind billionaire below.

He Was Declared an Emancipated Minor

Though Howard Hughes was a business magnate of his own right, he was born into money. His father was an inventor who owned a business and many patents. His parents died within two years of each other when Hughes was a teenager.

At 19, he was declared an emancipated minor, which allowed him to inherit his family’s fortune.

He Gave Up His Family’s Business

Though Hughes inherited his family’s business, he wasn’t all that interested in running it himself. He hired an accountant to run it for him. Hughes moved out to Los Angeles to pursue a career in filmmaking. This is something he maintained even while running other businesses.

He Set Many Flight Records

Howard Hughes owned many businesses, many of them in the aviation industry. Hughes also set a number of aviation records. He set the last airspeed record that was set in an aircraft privately built by an individual. That’s right— he built the plane himself!

He Survived Multiple Accidents

Hughes didn’t just invest in aviation— he participated. Hughes was a pilot. He survived four plane crashes and one of them was nearly fatal…