In a brilliantly prescient financial maneuver, Kennedy cashed out most of his stock market holdings shortly before the Crash of 1929, protecting his family’s wealth through the Great Depression. “From the beginning, Joe knew what he wanted—money and status for his family,” said a close friend. “He had the progenitor’s sense; to him, his children were an extension of himself. Therefore, what he did, he did with them always in mind. He played the game differently than if he had been after something entirely for himself.” The elder Kennedy was capable of tremendous charm, with a confident, quick
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