The First Trillionaire

The life and times of Olivia Freeland

Olivia peered hard at the mobile screen. She took off her glasses, squinting in the early hours of dawn as she tried to look at the fresh-faced girl staring at her from her mobile screen. Gingerly, her fingers moved over the picture. Her frail hand shook a little with all the emotions building up inside her.

"Shailputri, Shail, my darling. Many times I could not understand why I was living at all when there is no one left for me. But I don't want to die now without meeting you. I have to see you first."

She sat back comfortably in her cushioned leather armchair beside the window looking at the world outside slowly stirring itself to awareness. Her silvery hair was loose and unkempt but her eyes shone with some unusual brilliance for a 94-year-old frail lady.

"I have been working all these years, not knowing what I would do with all my wealth. Now I know, it is all for you. You are the hope and ray of light for this tired soul."

Smiling a little, she took in the sight of the early morning London scenery as she had been doing for so many years now. But today, she felt different. She was looking forward to starting her day. The bone deep tiredness that had seeped in years ago was dissipating a little.

It had been a long wait for Olivia who thought she had built a vast empire of wealth and business for nothing—she thought she was alone in this world! She felt content that all the hard work and her never-ending zeal for business that expanded her reach in different corners of the world would go to the only heir left of her 'once dynamic and vibrant' legacy. She could only thank the new wonders of the time, the technology present today never ceased to surprise her and she had to admit that she was impressed by all of it. She had seen the world change in her 94 years of life, the breakout of the Second World War, change of regimes in the world over, India before and after Independence, the advent and inventions of machines and technology and many things happening, changing and evolving before her eyes. She had kept herself abreast of all the changes and discoveries which perhaps contributed to her thirst for knowledge and first-hand information about computers and now smart-phones. She was lucky in some way, the thought came to her when she remembered her parents, her childhood, her working life in India and the self-enterprises that seemed to have sound business acumen to them—maybe a trait from her father, she guessed.

Born in 1921 to Joseph D. Freeland and Edith Freeland in England, young Olivia found her mother present in her life as much as her father was absent in it. Mr. Freeland was always busy; he gave his wife the money and freedom to do anything she wished to, except for the fact that all his money could not buy time for his wife and young daughter. His business was his baby, and young Edith almost single-handedly brought up her daughter while her husband was too busy with the upheavals that were rocking the world, the First World War before the birth of Olivia and when he had stabilised his business in the aftermath of the war, came the next financial onslaught on his business—the Great Depression. Being a shrewd businessman, Joseph sailed through the tough times and managed to do quite well for himself, saving a handsome capital for an opportune time. Somehow the two World Wars had done well for him unlike their contrary effects on the whole world. When the First World War broke out and the British Empire entered the war and emerged victorious as part of the Allies, Joseph had varied business interests which included a clothing line for soldiers and crisp whites for the hospitals, leather goods, a little known printing press that printed pocket-sized Bibles, spades and all kinds of digging equipment for the trenches at the battlefront, among others. His business did not suffer because of his adaptability in any circumstances, and sensing the doom and gloom in England when the country was reeling from the effects of the depression; he decided to move to America before Christmas of 1935. He had saved enough for his move, and an investment in the Land of Opportunities only needed the promise of good returns for his experienced eyes. The Second World War and the role of America in it helped him utilise his experiences of the previous war; he started off with small things and expanded his business horizon to bigger things relevant to that time. He started purchasing cheap oil wells as he felt that oils would dictate the market in the near future. It was the turning point in his business life. A major oil corporation, National Oil Company set-up in December 1936 established him as one of the most astute businessman of USA with the 'touch of good fortune' as he was called. He became the wealthiest person in the US being the founder, chairman and major shareholder of National Oil Company. On the personal front, his achievement was low and it dipped further with his informal separation with his wife, Edith in 1937.

Edith decided to come to India, to the place of her birth, for she was born to an ICS officer, Dr. Peter M. Spencer, at Delhi in 1900. She lived a sheltered life in India, studying and learning with zest every subject as she dreamt of working like her father in India when she finished school; her life in India lasted until April 1914. Her father decided to pack her off to England for some reason best known to him, with the promise that he would join her in October. It never happened as he was killed in July in a car accident in Calcutta. Edith and her mother went to live with her maternal grandparent at Essex, northeast of London till 1919 and after 2 days of her 19th birthday on 31st July; she met the handsome and self-assured Joseph D. Freeland. He was confident and had an eye for detail for things around him, which was enough for young Edith to be swept off her feet. During the four months of courtship that followed their meeting, he had said once that he wanted to search for new opportunities in a new land, and India may be one of the places that he would like to visit when he had got enough money; Edith did not need to hear anything more from him and instantly said yes when he proposed. They got married in 1920 and as Joseph went on earning more wealth, he became twice as busy investing the acquired wealth. Edith felt terribly lonely after six months of marriage and the arrival of her daughter, Olivia, made Edith forget her own worries and get occupied with her child. She had a wish to come to India as she felt that her father still lived in India, so when her marriage with Joseph came to the edges she chose India over England or America. So, 16-year-old Olivia moved to India with her mother and it was the first Christmas of her Indian life in 1937 at Lucknow. And for Edith, it felt like she had come home to where she belonged. Edith had applied for the post of a hostel warden of the acclaimed Le Martinere School through an old acquaintance of her father in India, the post entailed free residence and a monthly salary to suffice her needs.