American socialite and diva from her Manhattan to Aspen, Colorado headquarters. Known for her fabulously expensive parties from a penthouse overlooking Manhattan Park or her 10,000-square-foot country home on Aspen’s Red Mountain, her entourage includes such notables as the jet set, the Hollywood au courant set and the residents of the White House. As a matter of fact, her political passion has led her to contribute more than $1 million of her own money to the Democratic Party, as well as sponsor fund-raising soirees. Between July 1998 and May 2000, she contributed $450,000 to the Clinton Library as well as entertaining the political couple frequently. Such largesse gave rise to questions about a possible “pay-off” when Clinton pardoned her former husband, Marc Rich, in the last two hours of his presidency, without confirmation from Justice Department officials. It so happened that Marc Rich had left the country as a fugitive while owing the government $48 million in taxes.
Raised in Worcester, MA, Denise was one of two daughters of a shoe company founder millionaire. When she met stock-trader Marc Rich in April 1966, she knew that they would have a fascinating life together and they married in October. Rich was transferred to Madrid, where they lived for 14 years. Their daughter Ilona (now a sculptor) was born in 1967, Gabriella in 1970 and Daniella (an actress) in 1975.
During the ’70s and early ’80s, Rich fulfilled his name by making $100 million illegally. Now living in Manhattan, when facing charges he moved to Zug, Switzerland, where Denise and the girls joined him in 1983.
For years, the doe-eyed and vibrant sophisticate had dabbled in songwriting and in 1985, she published her first hit, “Frankie,” performed by Sister Sledge. After Marc had an affair with a German woman, she returned with their daughters to New York City in 1991, where she began turning out songs that were delivered by top talent.
At the same time, her social talents blossomed with parties that became the most desirable ticket in town, often with outrageous and colorful themes and which were attended by the most famed of the current media darlings.
In 1996, sorrow was the theme when Gabriella was diagnosed with leukemia. Denise donated bone-marrow for a transplant, but her 26-year-old daughter died in her arms on September 9th. In memory of her child, she founded the G&P Foundation and has raised millions for cancer research.
Link to Wikipedia biography