Who is Mitzi Perdue? Heiress of $12 billion Sheraton hotel empire still rides the subway
Mitzi Perdue, the 84-year-old heiress to not one, but two American business empires, Sheraton Hotels and Perdue Farms, is an anomaly in a world where wealthy individuals often show off their fortune through private jets and couture wardrobes. Perdue chooses hand-me-downs over designer threads and prefers fixing her old shoes to buying new ones. She could have spent her life floating above it all in first class. Instead, she stands firmly on the ground, living in a middle-class apartment and taking the subway like any regular commuter. And she insists it's not for show.
In a recent interview with Fortune.com, Perdue opened up about why she chooses a modest, service-oriented life despite her billionaire legacy. 'I'm unaware of getting praise for wearing really expensive clothes- you get praised like heck for being an Eagle Scout, or working for Habitat for Humanity. You get praise for serving others,' she says.
Mitzi's story begins in 1941, as the fifth child of the Henderson family, the founders of the Sheraton hotel chain. She grew up during wartime in hand-me-downs and attended public school for a time before going on to earn a Harvard education. Her father, Ernest Henderson, passed away when she was in her late twenties, leaving her and her siblings with controlling stakes in the $12 billion hospitality business.
Later, she married Frank Perdue, the man behind Perdue Farms, America's largest chicken producer which is now worth over $10 billion. The double inheritance could have easily led to a life of luxury. But Mitzi never saw wealth as a reason to stop working or contributing.
She's had access to a sizable trust and immense privilege, yet she has always chosen to live simply. Her one-bedroom flat in Salisbury, Maryland, shares walls with nurses, police officers and even a few Perdue employees. The annual rent, she notes, is about the same as what her New York friends pay in a month.
Mitzi could have stayed out of the spotlight, letting her wealth work quietly in the stock market. Instead, she leaned into agriculture. After buying land near the University of California, Davis, she managed a rice farm that supported research experiments. Later, she moved into journalism, covering farming practices and mental health.
Then came the Ukraine war. In 2022, she started reporting on the conflict and sold her $1.2 million engagement ring to support humanitarian efforts. She now devotes time to developing an AI trauma therapist for Ukrainian victims in need of mental health care.
Also read: Seeking unity, G7 meets amid escalating Ukraine, Middle East conflicts
For all her travels, economy class remains her seat of choice. Even in New York City, she skips the black cars and rides the subway. 'If you're always going on private jets, what inkling do you have about the real world?' she asks.
So why does a woman with unimaginable wealth choose frugality? For Mitzi, it's simple. A life of service brings her joy-far more than luxury ever could. She believes the key to sustaining a legacy lies in stewardship, not splurging. In both the Henderson and Perdue families, she says, the emphasis was always on looking after the wealth for the next generation.
Mitzi may have inherited billions, but the way she lives suggests something richer: a deep understanding that meaning comes not from what you have, but from what you give.
1 Who is Mitzi Perdue?Mitzi Perdue is the heiress to both the Sheraton hotel empire and Perdue Farms. She is also a journalist, author, and philanthropist known for her modest lifestyle.
2 How is she connected to Sheraton and Perdue Farms?She inherited the Sheraton legacy through her father, Ernest Henderson, and married Frank Perdue, the man behind Perdue Farms.
3 Why does she live frugally despite her wealth?Perdue believes in service over indulgence. She says her family never encouraged extravagance and taught her to be a steward of wealth rather than a spender.
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