While they may not be a household name like some of the other billionaires in the world, David and his wife Jackie Siegel are a couple who still had quite a bit of money to their name. David is a timeshare mogul and Jackie a beauty queen who seemed to have it all.
That was until the nation changed and the couple who should have been able to stand the test of time, found themselves in a situation neither dreamed of. While they dreamed of owning the largest single-family home in the United States, their financial situation began to dramatically change and soon the banks were looking at their dream home to pay for their debts.
As a result of the economic changes, this couple has taken to new ways of dealing with their limited finances. Gone are the days of caviar and champagne as the couple instead orders value menu items from McDonalds and try to continue to thrive in a world where the economy remains unstable.
Today, they face the stress of impending bank foreclosures and short sales that plague millions of other Americans as they look at a future that doesn’t include the dreams they have. While like any American out there knows, there is still hope and the potential to rebuild their life, their current slump has started to attract others who are surprised to see a wealthy couple failing in these times.
In fact, a movie has already been released about the building of the home and the financial difficulties that the pair has gone through. The Queen of Versailles showcases the couple as they go through building the monumental home and gives a rare insight into how a couple who admittedly has everything has to transform their life and give up the dreams that they had to work so hard for.
This is a sad cautionary tale that takes a different look at living the American dream and how when plans change, we have to pick up the pieces and begin to look at how we can enjoy those dreams on a different level.
While the future may be uncertain for the Siegel family, it does offer a unique glimpse into the upper class and how they remain just as fragile as the rest of us.
