recluse

9 Stories

S. Korean Recluses to Nab $500 a Month

Payments meant to help 'hikikomori' reintegrate into society

(Newser) - South Korea's government will offer $500 per month to young recluses in a push to get them to leave their homes. As Bloomberg reports, the country's Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced a measure Tuesday that could see thousands of dollars put toward education, job counseling, and...

A Penniless Baroness Sits in a Hospital Bed in NYC
A Penniless Baroness Sits
in a Hospital Bed in NYC
longform
Oct 22, 2022 10:00 AM CDT

A Penniless Baroness Sits in a Hospital Bed in NYC

The 'NYT' pieces together what it can about Birgit Thyssen-Bornemisza

(Newser) - "She had spent decades working to be invisible, to avoid ties to institutions, public or private. Now it was catching up to her." So write George Rush and John Leland in a fascinating piece for the New York Times on Birgit Thyssen-Bornemisza, an 80-year-old German baroness whose stepfather...

Richard Simmons Mystery Deepens After Podcast

Friend says he's being held captive by housekeeper; rep says that's 'crap'

(Newser) - A bizarre story about one of America's most famous fitness personalities continues to get more bizarre. Richard Simmons reportedly hasn't been seen in public in three years, and per an episode of the Missing Richard Simmons podcast that aired last Wednesday, the reason may be disturbing, Entertainment Tonight ...

Reclusive Pynchon to Cameo in Film Version of His Book?

Director's lips are sealed about author's appearance, but Josh Brolin's aren't

(Newser) - The first movie adapted from one of Thomas Pynchon's novels, Inherent Vice will feature slapstick humor and starring turns from Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, and Reese Witherspoon—and, apparently, a top-secret cameo by the reclusive Pynchon himself, the New York Times reports. And while it may seem that getting...

Woman Scores $7M Fortune From Long-Lost Relative

Cleaning crew finds thousands of gold coins in dead man's garage

(Newser) - For those who dream of some long-lost dead relative leaving you a fortune, it apparently can actually happen. Arlene Magdanz, a San Francisco-area substitute teacher, is now officially a millionaire seven times over thanks to a dead first cousin. The AP reports that a crew cleaning out Walter Samaszko Jr....

Anti-Gov't Recluse Leaves $7M ... in Gold

Was 'anti-government' hoarder

(Newser) - Neighbors didn't know much about Walter Samaszko Jr.—in fact, he had been dead for at least a month before the smell tipped people off to his demise. And when officials visited his house, they learned something else about him: He'd owned at least $7 million worth...

Reclusive Heiress Leaves Fortune to Arts, Nurse

And, in a move being investigated, her lawyer and accountant

(Newser) - Her will was filed in court yesterday, and reclusive heiress Huguette Clark left behind a $400 million estate that will be divvied up between her nurse, her goddaughter, an arts foundation, and—in a move that's raising eyebrows—her lawyer and accountant. Wallace Bock and Irving H. Kamsler will...

Recluse Huguette Clark's Family Barred From Burial

No funeral for copper heiress

(Newser) - Huguette Clark was buried today in the Bronx—but there was no funeral, and her family wasn’t allowed to attend, MSNBC reports. The copper heiress, who died at 104 after living for decades as a recluse, was buried in her family’s mausoleum. When relatives asked about attending the...

JD Salinger Was No Recluse, Say Neighbors

He was a private man, but he also got around town

(Newser) - He may have been a hermit to the rest of the world, but JD Salinger's neighbors in Cornish, NH, know differently. He valued his privacy to be sure, but the man also got around. He liked the Dartmouth Bookstore in nearby Hanover, favored the Windsor Diner, and was a regular...

9 Stories
Most Read on Newser