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Usually millionaires and billionaires aren't much loved, but Michael Brody, in 1970, became the most loved millionaire in the world, all for his generous attitude with which he won hearts.
The 21-year-old heir, from Scarsdale, New York, had inherited all the money from his grandfather who founded and branded margarine. He had received $250,000 of the trust and a monthly allowance of $20,000 or $30,000, and he vowed to give away his fortune to people who asked him for it.
All about the hippie millionaire's eccentric ways
It all started when Michael Brody got married. The bliss of marriage turned Brody into a benevolent soul and he apparently gave away some $50,000 in tips during his honeymoon trip to Jamaica. He even bought out a Pan Am 707 flight back to New York, so that he and his new bride could fly home in private.
This was the beginning of his benevolence and what followed was thousands of requests for money flowing in from strangers, with Brody gladly complying by writing out checks and handing out cash. He would even walk the streets of Manhattan handing out $100 bills to strangers and helping everyone who was in need of financial assistance.
One time, he even chartered a helicopter with the intention of landing on the White House Lawn so that he could offer the North Vietnamese $10 billion to broker an end to the Vietnam War. However, very obviously, he was not allowed to carry out the operation.
Brody's rise and fall
Michael Brody soon became a sensation with reporters and establishment-hating hippies adding to his rising fame. He was even offered a contract by RCA Records and Grateful Dead recruited him to open a show in Hawaii, the money from which he threw into the crowd.
Over time, Michael Brody's wealth ran out and his checks started bouncing and his fame ran thin. It is a wonder why he did what he did and the answer can probably be found in his childhood which was spent in neglect, so much so that he started using his wealth to gain connections.
Having squandered all his wealth, Brody ended up in a mental institution and was also later arrested for threatening to kill the president. Discovery's new documentary, Dear Mr. Brody, is an attempt to chart the life of the hippie millionaire of the '70s.
All about Michael Brody documentary Dear Mr. Brody
Following the life of the beloved millionaire who gave away his wealth, Dear Mr. Brody tells the story of Michael Brody Jr., a 21-year-old hippie millionaire who promised the world that he would give away his supposed $25 million inheritance to usher in a new era of world peace.
The documentary is by the Emmy-winning filmmaker Keith Maitland, and has been acquired by Discovery+. It has managed to garner critical acclaim and was officially selected to screen at the Telluride Film Festival.
To watch the documentary, viewers can buy it on Kino Now, Apple iTunes, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, or even rent it on Google Play Movies, YouTube, Apple iTunes, Kino Now, Vudu, and Spectrum On Demand online.
Catch the story of Michael Brody, who moved the world with benevolence in the Discovery+ documentary Dear Mr. Brody.
