Hotelier Leona Helmsley

Queen of Mean, known for her oppressive treatment of employees and 1988 tax evasion trial, made headlines worldwide during her infamous life and trial. Her signature phrase ‘only the little people pay taxes’ became an iconic catchphrase from that era.

Attwood and her husband Harry were charged with fraudulently evading millions in taxes by charging refurbishment costs of Dunnellen Hall to Helmsley Hotel properties using false invoices.

Early Life and Education

Leona Helmsley became president of Helmsley-Spear hotel management company in 1980. She brought with her a distinct style of hospitality that increased occupancy rates at her properties despite some rumors she may be harsh with employees.

She owned several other businesses, such as a condominium management firm and estates-development firm. Additionally, she made significant donations to charities in New York and elsewhere, and the couple owned expensive homes including yachts, 100-seat jets, and 28-room mansions in Greenwich and other Connecticut locales.

Leona was known for her extravagant lifestyle and refusal to compromise service standards at her hotels. Dubbed the “Queen of Mean,” many New Yorkers admired her wealth and glamour; yet some found her conduct towards employees egregiously cruel.

Professional Career

Mady has earned his street MBA outside gritty Detroit, his book MBA while chasing Baldrige awards, and his sports MBA from professional baseball coaches – becoming an expert at creating ultra-luxury experiences. He learned from several legendary hoteliers such as Leona Helmsley – known by employees for her abusive treatment at both her hotels and homes during a tax evasion trial that earned her the nickname of the Queen of Mean.

Leona used her business savvy to acquire significant real estate and hotel assets with husband Harry, but her lavish lifestyle and demanding demeanor earned her an unfavorable public perception. When Leona was charged with federal income tax evasion in 1989, her trial attracted considerable media coverage.

Achievement and Honors

Leona Helmsley earned the moniker, “the Queen of Mean,” for her ability to build up her husband’s real estate and hotel empire through aggressive business acumen, yet also garner significant media coverage through her unflinching control of menial and executive staff members.

She was found guilty of income tax evasion in 1989 and served 18 months in jail; even after she was freed, stories about her lavish spending and possible transgressions continued to make headlines.

Edward Mady has learned from some prestigious mentors – including Leona Helmsley of Helmsley Palace fame – which he once managed at Helmsley Palace in Manhattan. His career spans multiple continents and luxury brands from Dorchester Collection hotels to high rises of Greater Los Angeles; HOTELS magazine awarded him with Hotelier of the Year status in 2017.

Personal Life

Detractors of the tycoon earned her the nick-name “Queen of Mean” for her aggressive business practices and tactics, such as nickel-and-diming merchants on personal purchases, stiffing contractors who built her homes and hotels, and terrorizing menial and executive staff at her properties.

Employee harassment led to her imprisonment in 1989 on charges of income tax evasion and fraud, after which she relinquished all her management posts and gradually withdrew from public life.

She continued to appear in ads for her hotels, such as those featuring her portrait designed by Joyce Beber that drove up hotel occupancy rates. Additionally, she donated millions to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and its affiliate Weill Cornell Medical College while using her personal fortune to support a luxurious lifestyle that included owning a 100-seat jet with bedroom suite.

Net Worth

At their height of wealth, the Helmsleys owned 230 Park Avenue and the Empire State Building as well as hotels across the country. Leona Helmsley presented herself as being cheerful and inviting when appearing in advertisements; behind-the-scenes she could often become angry and arrogant; frequently shouting and firing employees were among her frequent activities.

Detractors allege she defrauded merchants on her personal purchases and stiffed contractors working at her homes and hotels. Her infamous 1989 tax evasion case in which she famously declared “only little people pay taxes” brought her widespread recognition.

At her death in 2007, Leona Helmsley had amassed an estimated net worth of $4 billion and pledged much of it towards animal welfare causes through her will.