20 Historical Figures Who Were Real Cheapskates

Nicknamed the “Witch of Wall Street,” this savvy investor built an empire worth hundreds of millions. Yet she categorically refused to turn on the heat or use hot water in her home. She wore the same black dress every day until it fell apart, and she only let her laundress wash the bottom hem—the dirtiest part—to save on soap.

Although he eventually came to be known as the richest American of his time, this oil tycoon hated it when his guests used the phones in his home to make long-distance calls. He decided to install a payphone right inside his mansion so his guests could use that instead. Getty is even remembered for refusing to pay a ransom when his grandson was kidnapped.

This Hollywood icon earned millions every year from his movies, but he liked to hoard his money as if he were penniless. If he went out to dinner with friends, he would either forget his wallet on purpose or “excuse himself” when the check came.

This British Conservative politician had inherited his fortune, but hated lighting a candle so much that he lived in total darkness. He ate spoiled food to avoid spending money on groceries. His strange lifestyle caught the attention of writers and eventually served as the direct inspiration for the famous fictional character Ebenezer Scrooge, the miser.

IKEA’s billionaire founder could have owned a fleet of sports cars, but he preferred to drive a battered, fifteen-year-old Volvo. He reportedly bought almost all of his clothes at local flea markets to avoid paying full price. And he always traveled in economy class for all his business trips.

While he was painting magnificent masterpieces for wealthy popes, this legendary Renaissance artist lived in utter poverty, in a squalid room. He rarely bothered to change his clothes or even take off his boots. It is said that over time, his boots eventually stuck to his skin.

This Hollywood star with irresistible charm was incredibly wealthy, but the poverty of his childhood had left him with a panic-stricken fear of losing his money. He was known for charging his fans for autographs and even went so far as to bill his guests for the laundry they had done during their stay at his home. At home, he would carefully cut the buttons off his old, worn-out shirts and keep them as precious keepsakes.

This Greek merchant shipping magnate was one of the richest men on the planet. Yet he remained obsessed with even the smallest household expenses. He would routinely walk the decks of his immense yachts to make sure the crew wasn’t wasting precious fresh water or leaving lights on in empty rooms.

This brilliant British scientist, who had discovered hydrogen, possessed an immense inherited fortune that he chose, so to speak, to ignore. He always wore the same old-fashioned, worn-out green tailcoat. Since he hated spending money on new things or socializing with people, he had instructed his servants to communicate with him only through written notes.

This 18th-century English miser took frugality to the extreme by refusing to buy string to keep his clothes in place. He wrapped strips of used hay around his legs instead of buying socks. His house was literally falling apart, but he refused to pay for repairs, preferring to hide his gold coins in the crumbling walls.

The inventor ran his workshops with the rigor of a sharp-eyed billionaire, keeping a close eye on expenses. He regularly checked his employees’ time sheets and disciplined them if they took too many sick days. Despite his immense success, he constantly complained about the cost of research equipment and demanded that his assistants work at a breakneck pace.

The founding father of the United States loved to save money, which is why he never threw away anything that could be reused. He saved all the blank paper from his printing shop to jot down notes in the small margins. He got around only on foot and was so afraid of spending money that he hoarded his pennies.

The first woman to serve in the British Parliament came from a wealthy family. Yet she liked to worry about her kitchen budget. She would meticulously inspect deliveries of eggs and meat to make sure her cooks weren’t stealing food or overcharging her.

The famous playwright loved to give his opinion, but hated spending money on postage. He wrote half of his letters on the back of postcards, using tiny handwriting so they would take up less space. George Bernard Shaw figured that if others wanted to discover his genius, they would just have to squint to decipher his cramped handwriting.

The author of the famous story “Peter Pan” earned millions from his writing, but relied on his friends to feed him. He would linger at their summer homes for weeks on end, simply to enjoy the free food and lodging. When Barrie was forced to host dinners, he served meager meals that left his guests hungry.

The first Duke of Marlborough came from a wealthy family. Yet he would often walk through his own mansion, blowing out the candles as he went. After taking part in military campaigns, Churchill made his fortune and continued to drive his carriage in the rain so as not to damage the wheels.

This financier from the Gilded Age had a fortune worth tens of millions of dollars, but he refused to spend more than a few cents on his lunch. Every day, he would walk to a cheap bakery to buy a simple slice of pie. He was also known for wearing inexpensive off-the-rack suits.

This powerful sovereign ruled over a vast global empire. Yet she exercised surprisingly strict control over the royal household’s expenditures. She insisted that all the wrapping paper and decorative ribbons from her gifts be carefully smoothed out and saved for future use.

This iconic actor earned a very good living on stage and on screen. But the idea of tipping waiters sent him into a complete panic. He would calculate the absolute minimum tip down to the last cent and often argued with waiters over the price of side dishes.

The man who won the famous victory over Napoleon at Waterloo lived on a vast estate, but categorically refused to pay for adequate heating. He kept his bedroom at a temperature close to zero and slept on a simple, hard camp bed, long after his military career had ended. He was sincerely convinced that spending money on his personal comfort weakened a man’s character; he therefore preferred to shiver with cold rather than part with his money.