{"id":412458,"date":"2022-03-05T03:17:49","date_gmt":"2022-03-05T00:17:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/hippie-millionaire-who-gave-away-fortune\/"},"modified":"2022-03-05T03:17:49","modified_gmt":"2022-03-05T00:17:49","slug":"hippie-millionaire-who-gave-away-fortune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/hippie-millionaire-who-gave-away-fortune\/","title":{"rendered":"#Hippie millionaire who gave away fortune"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a39bd44ccd46\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a39bd44ccd46\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/hippie-millionaire-who-gave-away-fortune\/#%E2%80%9CHippie_millionaire_who_gave_away_fortune%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Hippie millionaire who gave away fortune&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CHippie_millionaire_who_gave_away_fortune%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Hippie millionaire who gave away fortune&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>For a few weeks in 1970, Michael Brody became the most beloved millionaire in the world. <\/p>\n<p>The 21-year-old margarine heir, from Scarsdale, NY, vowed to give away his fortune \u2014 all people had to do was ask \u2014\u00a0setting off a whirlwind month that led to money raining down on Manhattan streets, an <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>earance on \u201cEd Sullivan\u201d and Brody attempting to land a helicopter on the White House lawn.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s all recalled in the new documentary \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/movies\/details?id=BLmdMt68epo.P\">Dear Mr. Brody<\/a>,\u201d available on demand on Amazon Prime and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/movies\/details?id=BLmdMt68epo.P\">Google Play<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Never mind that Brody did not have, as he once claimed, $10 billion. He apparently had a $1.25 million trust fund (worth $9 million in today\u2019s dollars) from a grandfather who was the first person to brand margarine and sold the company, Good Luck Margarine, in 1948.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-09.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Michael Brody's fortune came from his grandfather having been the first person to brand margarine.\" class=\"wp-image-21423119\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-09.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-09.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-09.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Michael Brody\u2019s fortune came from his grandfather having been the first person to brand margarine.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Bettmann<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cAt the age of 21, I\u2019ve been told, Michael received maybe $250,000 of the trust and a monthly allowance of $20,000 or $30,000,\u201d Keith Maitland, the film\u2019s director, told The Post.<\/p>\n<p>Brody\u2019s caper began when he met a girl named Renee in December 1969: She showed up at to his house to make a hash delivery for her drug-dealing boyfriend and didn\u2019t leave. Three weeks later, Brody married the 19-year-old.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/dear-mr-brody-02.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=682\" alt=\"Cover of documentary, &quot;Dear Mr. Brody&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-21423089\" width=\"177\" height=\"264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/dear-mr-brody-02.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=352 354w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/dear-mr-brody-02.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=264 265w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/dear-mr-brody-02.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=177 177w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/dear-mr-brody-02.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=88 88w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/dear-mr-brody-02.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 177px) 100vw, 177px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cMichael was on a beach in Jamaica, on his honeymoon [in early] January 1970,\u201d Maitland said. \u201cHis feeling was that there was love between [he and Renee], blue skies above them, and the world should experience what they were experiencing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Spreading the love, Brody apparently gave away some $50,000 in tips during the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a>. As a romantic gesture, he bought out a Pan Am 707 flight back to New York, so that he and his bride could fly home private. When they landed, an army of reporters awaited them at the airport. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think Pan Am got wind of the plan and tipped off the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> in order to get publicity,\u201d Melissa Glassman, a producer on the film, told The Post. The attention must have inspired Brody. \u201cHe spontaneously announced that he was going to give away all of his money. He revealed his home address, in Scarsdale, and asked people to mail in requests.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"682\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-07.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=682\" alt=\"Brody married his wife, Renee, three weeks after she showed up to deliver drugs to his house. \" class=\"wp-image-21423116\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-07.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1023 1023w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-07.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=682 682w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-07.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=341 341w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-07.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px\"\/><figcaption>Brody married his wife, Renee, three weeks after she showed up to deliver drugs to his house. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Michael Stroud<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Quickly, more than 200,000 letters \u2014\u00a0sob stories and pipe dreams \u2014 poured in. There was the kid who wanted $5,000 so he could go to Japan and shoot a movie. The wife of an imprisoned drug addict sent in a photo of their child with a request for finances that would \u201ckeep the smile on his face.\u201d People sent X-rays while seeking cash to cover doctors\u2019 bills.  <\/p>\n<p>Immediately, Brody began writing checks and handing out cash. People lined up on the front lawn of his upscale home. A woman named Bunny Jones received $60,000 for the launching of a Harlem recording studio and allowed Brody to use her Broadway office as a Manhattan headquarters. It, too, was soon besieged with folks clamoring for a handout.<\/p>\n<p>Over the next week,<strong> <\/strong>Brody would walk the streets of Manhattan and hand out $100 bills to strangers. He and his crew of hangers-on, often with joints in their hands, repaired to the East 60s apartment of his father, who was reportedly out of town as all this went down. Soon, the sidewalk in front of the building<strong> <\/strong>was jammed up with fortune seekers. <strong> <\/strong>Hamming it up, Brody tossed $20 bills out the window while flipping the bird. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/dear-mr-brody-06.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"When Brody offered to give away his money to people who needed it, he was inundated with mail.\" class=\"wp-image-21423099\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/dear-mr-brody-06.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/dear-mr-brody-06.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/dear-mr-brody-06.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>When Brody offered to give away his money to people who needed it, he was inundated with mail.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Greenwich Entertainment<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/dear-mr-brody-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Some of the letters are featured in the documentary.\" class=\"wp-image-21423092\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/dear-mr-brody-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/dear-mr-brody-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/dear-mr-brody-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Some of the letters are featured in the documentary.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Greenwich Entertainment<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On Jan. 11, the newly minted celebrity appeared on \u201cThe Ed Sullivan Show,\u201d played a Bob Dylan song on his acoustic guitar as the host marveled over \u201cthe youngster giving away $25 million.\u201d Audience members applauded wildly.<\/p>\n<p>A day later, he and Renee chartered a helicopter with the intention of landing on the White House Lawn. Brody told the press that he was going to offer the North Vietnamese $10 billion to broker an end to the Vietnam War. (Not that he had $10 billion.)<\/p>\n<p>But as the chopper came to airspace above the presidential lawn, Secret Service agents were on high alert. \u201cThey kept telling the pilot that if he lands on the lawn, he will get shot down,\u201d bodyguard Michael Aronin says in the documentary.<strong> <\/strong>Brody kept throwing $20 bills at the pilot, insisting he land. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"682\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-08.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=682\" alt=\"For a few weeks, Brody handed out money as he walked down the streets of Manhattan.\" class=\"wp-image-21423113\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-08.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1023 1023w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-08.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=682 682w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-08.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=341 341w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-08.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px\"\/><figcaption>For a few weeks, Brody handed out money as he walked down the streets of Manhattan.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Bettmann<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Finally, though, the pilot got cold feet and pivoted to a nearby airport. Brody and his crew \u2014 including Aronin \u2014 taxied to the White House, where they insisted on seeing Nixon so that the war could be stopped. Secret Service agents detained the group before kicking them out and arresting the bodyguard, who had an outstanding warrant.<\/p>\n<p>At a press conference right after the incident, Brody griped, \u201cI came down with a surefire peace plan \u2026 President Nixon showed how much he cared by arresting a person I came down with. I [wanted] to give $10 billion and a lot of love and what did he give me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Reporters and establishment-hating hippies ate it up. RCA Records offered Brody a contract. And in the middle of all this, the Grateful Dead recruited him to open a show in Hawaii. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-05.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Brody performed on the &quot;Ed Sullivan Show&quot; after announcing his big giveaway.\" class=\"wp-image-21423108\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-05.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-05.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-05.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Brody performed on \u201cThe Ed Sullivan Show\u201d after announcing his big giveaway.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">John Lent<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cHe was paid $300 for the gig, requested the money in singles and threw it all into the crowd,\u201d said Maitland. \u201cHe also happened to be dosed with LSD by a Grateful Dead roadie.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Back in Manhattan, Brody<strong> <\/strong>kept writing checks as if drawing from a bottomless pit. But by Jan. 19, those checks were bouncing. His admirers began turning against him, shouting from the street. A disheveled Brody was asked by a reporter what his purpose was. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo bring peace to the world,\u201d he said. \u201cThe world will realize that they are killing themselves over paper. I am the phoniest thing there ever was. I\u2019m a big phony. I\u2019m not real. If I die, the whole world dies with me.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-11.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"People seeking Brody's money showed up at his family's various homes.\" class=\"wp-image-21423130\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-11.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-11.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-11.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>People seeking Brody\u2019s money showed up at his family\u2019s various homes.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Bettmann<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In fact, Brody was ill-equipped to handle such a wild spree and the scrutiny it generated. His mother had died when he was 3 and, a boyhood friend recalls in the film, he was raised by babysitters and housekeepers while his father, a notorious playboy, faded out of the picture. <\/p>\n<p>Brody was so desperate for friends that he\u2019d invite local kids over for poker nights and then happily lose to keep them coming back.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMichael struggled to find connections,\u201d said Maitland. \u201cI think that giving away his money was about finding connections. But it went off the rails.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There was something else at play. According to Ed Dwyer, a journalist who <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/hightimes.com\/\">wrote about Brody for High Times magazine<\/a>, those joints that he chain-smoked contained more than mere marijuana. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-04.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"He was mobbed by crowds outside his father's Upper East Side apartment.\" class=\"wp-image-21423106\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-04.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-04.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-04.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>He was mobbed by crowds outside his father\u2019s Upper East Side apartment.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Ron Frehm<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIf Michael Brody was just a pothead, I don\u2019t think any of this would have happened,\u201d Dwyer says in the doc. \u201cDo you know anything about PCP? I wouldn\u2019t recommend it to anyone at any time. It makes you feel like you have all this power and energy and you really don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As Maitland told The Post, \u201cPCP was the fuel that kept the engine running.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Word spread that things were going bad and that the money was not as much as Brody had promoted. A New York Times article quoted him saying he \u201cwas <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1970\/01\/19\/archives\/brody-says-drugs-inspired-giveaway-brody-says-drug-trip-inspired.html\">tripped out on drugs<\/a>\u201d when he decided to blow his inheritance. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat a joke I\u2019ve pulled on the world,\u201d he added. \u201cThey think I\u2019m Jesus Christ.\u201d  On Jan. 19, 1970, The Post\u2019s front page blared: \u201cBrody\u2019s Millions \u2013 More Questions.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"682\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=682\" alt=\"Body and Renee split after he was admitted to a mental hospital.\" class=\"wp-image-21423094\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1023 1023w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=682 682w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=341 341w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px\"\/><figcaption>Body and Renee split after he was admitted to a mental hospital.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">New York Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Considering the whirlwind nature of it all, Aronin marveled, \u201cIt\u2019s an Andy Warhol \u201915 minutes of fame\u2019 story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In an effort to get away from the insanity and the throngs of critics, Brody tried to keep a low profile as 1970 wound down. He and Renee moved to a home in Woodstock. But the come-down from everything \u2014 maybe the drugs, definitely the fame \u2014 was brutal. After having given away an estimated $350,000, he became increasingly depressed. <\/p>\n<p> He wound up in a mental institution. Renee, as she explains in the doc, \u201cwent to California in a VW bus with [the couple\u2019s baby son] Jamie.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-12.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"He was arrested on arson charges after a fire destroyed this rented $100,000 residence in Norwalk, Conn.\" class=\"wp-image-21423084\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-12.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-12.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-12.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>He was arrested on arson charges after a fire destroyed this rented $100,000 residence in Norwalk, Conn.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Bettmann<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"682\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-10.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=682\" alt=\"Brody and Renee had one child, son Jamie.\" class=\"wp-image-21423123\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-10.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1023 1023w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-10.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=682 682w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-10.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=341 341w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Michael-James-Brody-jr-renee-10.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px\"\/><figcaption>Brody and Renee had one child, son Jamie.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Bettmann<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Brody was released in 1971 or \u201972, only to be arrested at home in Norfolk, Conn., for making threatening calls to the White House. Speaking to Nixon\u2019s receptionist, he threatened to set himself on fire and vowed to kill the president. <\/p>\n<p>He was released on bail, then re-arrested and charged with arson when his $100,000 rental home burned to the ground. Brody temporarily ended up in a mental hospital once again. Upon release, he was drinking a case of beer a day.<\/p>\n<p>On Jan. 26, 1973, he went to the home of Renee\u2019s father and shot himself with a hunting rifle.<\/p>\n<p>Looking back at it all, having gone through more than 12,000 of the letters sent to Brody, Maitland said, \u201cThe obstacles and issues, which held people back in 1970 \u2014 finding money for college, paying off medical costs, dealing with tragic drug addiction issues \u2014 are the same as they are today. I think we could use a Michael Brody right now, just without the unraveling he endured.\u201d\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/03\/04\/dear-mr-brody-hippie-millionaire-who-gave-away-fortune\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Hippie millionaire who gave away fortune&#8221; For a few weeks in 1970, Michael Brody became the most beloved millionaire in the world. The 21-year-old margarine heir, from Scarsdale, NY, vowed to give away his fortune \u2014 all people had to do was ask \u2014\u00a0setting off a whirlwind month that led to money raining down on&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":412459,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/michael-renee-brody-documentary.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[126404,88418,72588,72543,79117],"class_list":["post-412458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-3-4-22","tag-hippies","tag-money","tag-richard-nixon","tag-vietnam-war"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/412458","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=412458"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/412458\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/412459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=412458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=412458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=412458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}