He was born into great wealth, and never worked a day in his life. In fact the way he lived that life is legendary. George Whittell, Jr. was known as a playboy, a rebel, and embarrassment to his family. But he was also known as a shrewd businessman, an animal lover, and, in his later years an eccentric recluse. It’s a life that is still talked about today.

George Whittell was born in September of 1881, to George Whittell, Sr. and Anna Luning Whittell of San Francisco. The older Whittells merged great fortunes their own fathers had built through Gold Rush mining, banking, and real estate investments in San Francisco. George Whittell, Jr. became the sole heir to all of that money when his twin brother Nicholas died of Diphtheria at the age of 3. He had no need to work, and so he never bothered. He was educated through high school and when it was time for college, he instead ran off to join the Barnum and Bailey Circus. It was there that he fostered a love of wild animals, and in fact opened his own safari business trapping wild animals for the circus.

The younger Whittell rebelled against what his parents considered common sense for his future with an arranged marriage and instead ran off with a chorus girl whom his father quickly paid off in the name of discretion. George Jr. then married a performer, but that marriage quickly failed as well. His parents purchased a captaincy for him in the Italian Army when he was lured to the excitement of the war. He returned with a new handle, “Captain” and a new wife, this time one his parents approved of as acceptable.

When that marriage also failed he threw himself fully into a life of carousing. He became known for his fancy cars, exotic animals, fast automobiles and boats. He loved entertaining when he felt like it… and he became a master at evading people when he didn’t want them around.

He became known as a shrew businessman in his own right and masterfully liquidated $50 million worth of stock to avoid falling victim to the stock market crash. His foresight to purchase 40,000 acres of forestland on Lake Tahoe’s eastern shore secured him a place in the hearts of conservationists, celebrities and the curious. The construction of his “Summer cottage-turned millionaire’s compound” is still talked about today. The compound itself is still admired by all who tour it.

The Thunderbird lodge included a collection of buildings built in the Great Camp Style. A main lodge, a teahouse, a card house, a boathouse specifically for the Thunderbird Yacht, a servant’s house, a lighthouse and underground tunnels connecting them were built.

He also made room for his pet elephant, Mingo and his beloved lion cub, Bill. In fact, Bill accompanied Whittell everywhere even to nightclubs in Tahoe.

In his youth he was known as a rebel. In his later years George Whittell, Jr. became an eccentric, and a recluse. Looking back some even classify him as somewhat of a prototype for the likes of Howard Hughes. No matter your view, he played an integral role in Tahoe’s history and will always be remembered as a colorful character who left a priceless legacy here for the future.