The Crazy True Story Of William Randolph Hearst Public Domain
By Natasha Lavender/Jan. 15, 2021 3:35 pm EDT
Media empires controlled by one rich and powerful man who has political ambitions and no problem with fake news sounds like a very modern drama. But William Randolph Hearst was born in the middle of the American Civil War.
WR as his mistress called him had a highly educated mother with equally high standards, and a father who had ambitioned his way from Missouri mining school to mine owner, rancher, Senator, and millionaire. At first, WR had the drive to live up to his family s expectations. Turning around one family newspaper paved the way to a media empire, and he celebrated his fame by constructing a dream castle on the California coast.