William Randolph Hearst’s Real-Life Hoard Inspired Citizen Kane
Multi-millionaire William Randolph Hearst was a famous businessman and newspaper publisher. Just like your average hoarder, he collected random items like “door knockers, warming pans, tile stoves, musical instruments, pipes, and lanterns.” He also had a more expensive and high-class collection of fine art. His collection was so massive, he owned 25% of the global art market all on his own. Yes, fine art is a smart financial investment. But Hearst truly went to the extreme. He even bought an entire Spanish monastery, and had it shipped back to the United States. But many of the pieces were lost on the journey.
William Randolph Hearst inspired the movie Citizen Kane. In the movie, we see a massive collection of art and random objects held in a warehouse. This is where he kept his precious “Rosebud” sled that we see at the end of the movie. By 1937, he had spent so much of his money that his massive business empire was on the brink of bankruptcy. He was forced to sell many of his paintings. Today, the pieces that were left in his collection are still on display in Hearst’s former home. There are also 170 pieces on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
