A World of Yeses

The heir to the Onassis fortune, Athina Roussel found herself with
an estimated $2.7 billion in cash, a private jet, the Greek island of
Skorpios and more when she celebrated her 18th birthday on Wednesday,
January 29. In one day, Roussel became one of the world's richest
teenagers. But can a teenager handle such a large financial
responsibility? "Clearly, she is not doing this alone," says Stuart
Fischoff, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at California State University
at Los Angeles. "It will be tightly controlled."

Roussel had known about her inheritance for years; she may be
little changed by her newfound responsibilities. Yet the new access to
funds may cause problems. "There is a dark side for anyone with that much
money, whether you're 18 or 80," explains Fischoff. "There is nothing
built into you that says no."

The risk is that there is not much someone that affluent cannot do,
and that might lead to trouble. "It's a world of yeses," continues
Fischoff "It happens with athletes and music stars and celebrities all
the time. You see how, money takes people down when they suddenly get a
bunch of it."

"Unless she is en
enfant terrible, this will not change her lifestyle
at all. Whether she knows how to shepherd [her fortune] and invest it is
another issue," says Fischoff.