The wife of James Cargill II, a billionaire in America’s fourth-wealthiest family, bashed a "small-minded community" in Minnesota for their concerns about her buying up available homes in their neighborhood.
Kathy Cargill began attracting attention last year after scooping up 10 homes in the 7-mile-long neighborhood of Park Point along a Lake Superior sandbar in Duluth valued at $2 million.
Cargill then doubled up on her property shopping spree, purchasing an additional 10 homes.
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The 20 homes now belonging to Cargill worried the community’s neighbors about her plans for such a large portion of local property.
According to The New York Post, she called her neighbors from the city of Duluth "ingrates," proclaimed the homes to be "pieces of crap" and canceled her plans to improve the neighborhood.
As rumors swirled, local Mayor Roger Reinert was looped in, who eventually wrote a letter to Cargill inquiring about her plans for the houses.
The Cargill Inc. heiress expressed her discontent with the mayor’s involvement, telling The Wall Street Journal, "I think an expression that we all know—don’t pee in your Cheerios—well, he kind of peed in his Cheerios right there, and definitely I’m not going to do anything to benefit that community."
She continued, "The good plans that I have down there for beautifying, updating and fixing up Park Point park or putting up that sports court, forget it. There’s another community out there with more welcoming people than that small-minded community."
Park Point locals had mixed feelings about Cargill’s large purchase of surrounding properties.
Brooks Anderson, a 90-year-old retired minister said, "This is my piece of crap, and I love it. I hope she regrets saying that."
"We’re Minnesotans, like, ‘I’ve got brandy, I’ve got some vodka, come on over, we’re gonna have something to eat together. We don’t understand this thing where people are like, it’s all a secret," 59-year-old local resident Deb Strange said.
Dan O’Neill, a 71-year-old Park Point native and retired union organizer, told the Journal he sold his house to Cargill last year for $825,000. "I think Kathy Cargill is a well-meaning lady. I have faith that they are going to do the right thing. They’re all very pleasant and I really believe that they want to blend it into the Park Point environment. No way it’s going to be some McMansion."
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Cargill, who told the paper she’s getting calls from people who wish to sell their homes, revealed, "We’re going to make it even more private than it is, and we’re still going to go enjoy it. Those people aren’t running me out. They can posture themselves all they want, but I’m not going anywhere."
