Before There Was Elon, There Was John DuPont
The Batshit Billionaire Bad Boy is Nothing New
John Eleuthère DuPont was an heir to the DuPont family fortune, one of the wealthiest families in America. He was also the perpetrator in a murder which shocked the nation.
Suddenly, the curtain was thrust open on the troubled inner life of John du Pont- his confused mental state, his relationship with Dave Schultz and other wrestlers, his motives for committing such a shocking crime, and his subsequent trial and imprisonment.
The DuPonts made their fortune in the gunpowder business and later expanded into the automotive and chemical industry. As of 2016, the family fortune was estimated at $14.3 billion.
John DuPont grew up on a massive estate near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he pursued his interests in science and athletics as a young man.
He was an avid collector of rare books, stamps, shells, and birds, and founded and directed the Delaware Museum of Natural History in 1972.
As a young billionaire, John was able to satisfy his delight with athletic pursuits by training with Olympic-caliber athletes in swimming and pentathlon events.
He became especially interested in wrestling in the 1980s and established a training facility at…
