Born: February 25, 1937 in Staniewicze, Poland (presently Belarus)
Early days . She was born in a village in Polesie (then voivodshaft in Poland). After WWII she lived in Wroclaw, Poland where she attended senior high school (Liceum) and then studied Art History at the Wroclaw University obtaining there Master degree. In 1969 she went to Rome to study and then to the USA.
Life in the USA. Soon after the arrival to the USA She found work in the house of John Seward Johnson a co-owner of Johnson & Johnson. She started as a cook, and then became the chambermaid and nanny. After three years, in 1971, Mr.Johnson divorced his wife and- 8 days later- married Barbara Piasecka, 40 years his junior, who became his third wife. Sharing common interest in art they gathered an extraordinary art collection renowned worldwide, comprising among others, 19th Century and Old Master paintings and 18th Century French Furniture. The first ever presentation of a significant portion of the Collection was staged in Poland, to coincide with its regaining its independence from communism. After the death of her husband she converted the family estate in Princeton, New Jersey, named Jasna Polana, into a country club, Tournament Players Club at Jasna Polana and moved to Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Piasecka the businesswoman. Piasecka inherited the bulk of the Johnson & Johnson fortune upon her husband's death in 1983. Johnson’s children contested the will, even though they already were given substantial money in trusts. The legal battle ended with Barbara getting half a billion dollars in assets, and each of the Johnson children getting an additional $US 30 million. Thanks to successful stock exchange operations and proper investments her assets grew to 2.6 billions in 2006. She is on the Forbes 400 World's Richest People list making her the 74th richest person on Earth as of 2006… she inherited a private golf club and 36 million J&J shares. As of 2007, Barbara Piasecka Johnson is the fourth richest American who does not live in America.
Piasecka- the philanthropist. Mrs. Johnson became one of the foremost private foreign investors in the emerging free market economy in Poland, at the same time concentrating on such vital issues as improvement of the health care system, and establishing homes for orphans, for unwed mothers, for the disabled, and for the terminally ill. Barbara Piasecka Johnson has been a major benefactor to a number of charitable projects, especially in her native Poland. In 1974 John Johnston founded Barbara Piasecka Johnson Foundation. Its goal was to help the students and young professionals from Poland to continue their studies in the USA. The foundation was particularly helpful in the areas of art, medicine, and international humanitarian actions. Later the foundation helped the victims of the martial law and the outposts of the health care and community homes in Poland. Recently Barbara’s niece, Beata Piasecka, manages the foundation. The problem of autism is of particular interest for the Foundation. Barbara Johnson gave the Foundation her collection of Polish art with the understanding that all income obtained from its sale will be devoted solely to the realization of a long-term program consisting of dissemination of the knowledge of autism and of founding of centers of early detection of autism in major Polish cities. The Foundation collaborates with the Princeton Child Development Institute and with the Center for Autistic Children and Teenagers in Gdansk, Poland. The Foundation also contributed to creation of Polish Association for Behavioral Therapy and of centers of early intervention in Poznan and Cracow. Every two years Barbara Piasecka-Johnson organizes in Jasna Polana a charitable auction "Art for Autism". The Prince of Monaco, Albert, is the patron and honorary guest of the auction. The auction is conducted by famous auction house Christie. The auction and associated dinner always attracts about 300 invited guests. The Honorary Committee of the auction consists of prominent scientists, artists, businessmen and politicians. Each auction brings about $500,000.
Prizes and awards. Saint BrotherAlbert Chmielowski prize for achievements in sacral art and in preservation of objects of art in Poland; Champion of Democracy prize awarded by the College of Democracy in Washington, DC for supporting free enterprise, science, and education in Poland; Living Legacy Award by Women’s International Center for exceptional and permanent contributions for humanity; Officer Order of St. Charles awarded by the Prince Rainier III in recognition for contributions for Principality of Monaco.
Based on an article that appears in Wikipedia (with modifications):
Wikipedia
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Other sources:
Forbes
Money.pl (in Polish)
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