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Five leaders’ wives and their obscene shopping habits, from Rosmah Mansor and Grace Mugabe to Marie Antoinette

Following the downfall of Rosmah Mansor, Malaysia’s former first lady, we look at spouses who are known for their love of luxury and designer goods and weren’t shy about raiding their nation’s coffers to fund their shopping sprees

Wednesday, 23 May, 2018
Simon O'Reilly

Rosmah Mansor, Malaysia’s former first lady, is the latest in a long line of spouses who devoted their time to acquiring and spending money, usually from their cash-strapped nations, while their citizens were suffering or starving.


Rosmah Mansor
(aka The Bag Lady)

Born 1951. Second wife of Najib Razak, the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia.

On May 18 this year, Malaysian police seized a large number of designer handbags, many of them stuffed with cash and jewellery, during searches of homes and offices linked to Najib. The former prime minister has been barred from leaving the country after allegations that he oversaw the looting of billions of dollars from development company 1MDB.

His luxury-loving spouse Rosmah is said to have spent US$8 million in seven years in designer shops and US$400,000 on anti-ageing products. She owns a US$10 million, 30-carat diamond ring, while her husband’s salary was US$130,000 a year.

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Grace Mugabe
(aka “Gucci” Grace, DisGrace, The First Shopper)

Grace was Robert Mugabe’s former secretary. She married him officially at the age of 31 when he was 72.

While their country descended into chaos, Grace was busy shopping in Europe. On one trip she spent US$120,000 in Paris. In 2002 she was banned from entering the EU. “This will stop Grace Mugabe going on her shopping trips in the face of catastrophic poverty blighting the people of Zimbabwe,” said Glenys Kinnock, a Labour Party member of the European parliament at the time.

Grace Mugabe built two palaces, one of which she later sold to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The second palace was built with US$26 million taken from the coffers of her political party Zanu-PF.

In 2009, while in Hong Kong, where she owns a property and her daughter went to university, she and a bodyguard attacked a journalist, Richard Jones, cutting his face with her bejewelled rings. She was granted diplomatic immunity.

That immunity also saved her from prosecution after she attacked and wounded South African model Gabriella Engels.

A Zimbabwean police spokeswoman stated on March 26 that they were investigating a case of alleged ivory smuggling linked to Grace Mugabe.

I might have a small fist. But when it comes to fighting, I will put stones inside to enlarge it. Do not doubt my capabilities (GRACE MUGABE)

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Marie Antoinette
(aka Madame Deficit)

Born 1755.

The last Queen of France, Antoinette is a legend among big spenders.

Her hairstyles were extravagant beyond belief. She could even hide tiny vases of water in there to keep the ornamental flowers fresh. Her jewellery was no less sumptuous – two of her diamond bracelets were worth as much as a Parisian mansion.

Even as her subjects were suffering from starvation and disease, she continued spending and gambling. She paid to construct her own private retreat at Versailles complete with artificial rivers, a rotunda and a series of what appeared to be rustic cottages. The cost: two million francs.

Her spending was said to be a direct cause of the economic plight that led to the French Revolution. Aristocrats were murdered by enraged mobs and the royal family were forced to flee their palace.

A French general told the royals that their journey would be much safer if they made it in two small, inconspicuous carriages. Instead, Antoinette demanded they use larger carriages that could be outfitted with a full silver dinner service and a wine chest.

She met her end at the guillotine. She was disdainful to the last.

-from http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2147422/five-leaders-wives-and-their-obscene-shopping-habits-rosmah-mansor-and
-photos from various online sources

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