For several generations, the Kennedy family, as well as those who have been lucky enough to marry into the famous American dynasty, have enjoyed great financial success. This is just saying. The Kennedy family remains one of US history’s most storied political dynasties.
They descended from humble Irish roots in County Wexford. The Kennedy family and all the people who have married into it have enjoyed great wealth and success both politically and financially in the US.
The last surviving sibling of the Kenedy family wrote itself into U.S. history. She was the first Kennedy woman of her generation to take on a serious political role in US history.
Net Worth
There is no accurate information about Jean Kennedy Smith’s net worth. But, the net worth of the Kennedy family is estimated to be around $2 billion and growing. When she was alive, Jean benefited from this wealth accumulation.
There is no reliable information regarding the assets she has owned over the years.
Who is Jean Kennedy Smith?
The late Jean Kennedy Smith was a sister to President John F. Kennedy. She was the eighth of nine children born to Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald.
She served as the US Ambassador to Ireland from 1993 to 1998 during the Clinton presidency. She made it possible for a formal agreement in Northern Ireland to end decades of sectarian violence. Jean died on Wednesday, June 17, 2020, at her home in Manhattan, New York. She was 92. Her daughter Kym Smith confirmed her death that morning.
Ms. Jean Smith was the Kennedy family’s second-youngest and last surviving sibling. A family that embedded itself in the American consciousness and etched itself into American history.
Related post: Kym Maria Smith Biography, Husband, Age, Family, Net worth
Therefore, it produced a president, several senators, and a mystical lifestyle fashioned out of political glory, personal charm, astonishing wealth, and staggering tragedy unrivaled anywhere in the world.
Most people retire early, and so did Ms. Smith. She led a quiet life of great privilege, wealth, and philanthropy in palatial homes, summer vacations at sea, and a busy schedule of society and charity functions.
She shared family triumphs, tragedies, and scars. She’s always been in the shadow of her siblings, including President John F. Kennedy, Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy (the youngest in the family), Eunice Shriver, and Patricia Kennedy Lawford.
In 1993, Ms. Smith was named ambassador to Dublin by President Bill Clinton. This was at the request of her brother Edward, known as Teddy. She was 65, and then, she was the widow of Stephen E. Smith, the Kennedy family’s troublemaker and financial adviser.
Ms. Jean Smith was the first Kennedy woman of her generation to take on a serious political position.
Like her sisters and all her brothers’ wives, she took on roles in the family’s political campaigns but not in the public service. Her father, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., had been the ambassador to Britain back when she was just a little girl.
Early Life
Ms. Jean Smith was born on February 20, 1928, in Massachusetts. Her father was Joseph P. Kennedy, and her mother was Rose Kennedy.
She was the eighth out of nine children they had. She and all her siblings have been in various respectable positions, including John F. Kennedy, who served as the president; Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics founder; and Robert F. Kennedy, the US attorney and US senator.
She befriended Ethel Skakel and Joan Bennett, who later turned to her sisters-in-law. Ms. Jean Smith graduated from Manhattanville College in 1949.
In 1956, Ms. Jean Smith Kennedy married Stephen Edward Smith, a businessman. The couple believed in maintaining a low-profile life, out of the public eye. They had two sons, Stephen Jr. and William Kennedy Smith, and together, they also adopted two daughters, Amanda Smith and Kym Smith.
In 1990, Ms. Smith’s husband, Stephen Smith, died of cancer. Their son William Kennedy Smith was accused of rape a year later, in 1991 but was acquitted after a trial.
Her sisters, Eunice and Ted, died in 2009. Later, she was the last surviving child of Joseph and Rose Kennedy. On 17 June 2020, Jean Smith passed away at her home in Manhattan, aged 92.
Career
Ms. Jean Smith had been involved in various political affairs and worked for the Congressional and presidential campaigns for her older brother, John.
Jean and her husband were also in the same hotel where Robert Kennedy was assassinated.
In 1974, Jean founded Very Special Arts. This was to provide an arts education program to people with disabilities. She also published a book titled ‘Chronicles of Courage: Very Special Artists’ along with George Plimpton.
In 1993, she was appointed the US Ambassador to Ireland by President Bill Clinton at the behest of her brother. She was honored with Irish citizenship by President Mary McAleese for her touching services to Ireland. In 1998, she finally retired as the ambassador to Ireland.
Controversies
Jean faced a lot of criticism In 1994, mainly for granting a US Visa to Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein, a member of the left-wing of Irish Republicans.
Gerry was the leader of Sinn Fein, and according to Ms. Jean, this was a good step toward maintaining peace in the land. She said that Adams did not believe in the armed struggle to resolve issues. As a result, he was granted a Visa.
In 1996, she faced a controversy when she asked the embassy staff to use taxpayer’s money to refurbish her house. She also violated a few other laws and was asked to pay $5,000 to settle these allegations.