Double heiress to Perdue and Sheraton fortunes opts for modest lifestyle
Mitzi Perdue, who inherited stakes in Sheraton Hotels and later married the head of Perdue Farms, lives modestly despite her wealth. She wears secondhand clothes, rides the subway, and flies economy, believing that extravagance disconnects people from reality. She says both families discouraged designer labels and private jets.
Perdue’s inheritance arrived early, at 26, when her father’s controlling stake in Sheraton Hotels passed to her and her siblings. She later married Frank Perdue, whose poultry company generated over $10 billion in 2024 revenue. Despite this combined wealth, she has chosen to work as a journalist and farm manager, and she sold a $1.2 million engagement ring to fund Ukraine humanitarian aid. Her current project involves developing an AI trauma therapist for Ukrainian war victims.
Her frugality traces to childhood as a “war baby” wearing hand-me-downs and attending public school before Harvard. She has lived in the same middle-class Salisbury, Maryland, apartment for 14 years, where her annual rent matches one month of a New York City friend’s payment. She rides subways, flies economy, and repairs shoes rather than replacing them, citing that both families valued service over display.
This story could subtly challenge assumptions about wealth and happiness, particularly for younger audiences who equate money with luxury. By modeling frugality and civic engagement, Perdue may inspire more deliberate spending habits among inheritors and high earners. Her example could also reinforce conversations about philanthropy and mental health support in conflict zones, though its broader societal impact likely remains limited to personal finance discourse rather than systemic change.