keeping all that money
? was a bit disappointed that Lisbeth chose to keep all that money. I mean, it came from bad sources and I feel it would be more ethical if she donated it somewhere, like a women’s shelter or something…Truth is that at the end of 3d book it is left a bit open what she will do with the money, but still. What do you think?
Posted by anna , 9 February 2012
18 comments on “keeping all that money”
well, i see where you’re coming from but she doesn’t use it to do bad or wrong to anyone, she uses it for herself. nobody ever gave her anything and I think she’s a bit of a sceptic and doesn’t believe too much in the humanirty of people tho Bloomkvist, Armansky, Pilgrem all try hard to change this view she has. When her mother was beaten senseless on all those occasions nobody ever listened to her, no social services helped, no woman’s refuge so why does she owe these people anything. You are forgetting that she gave all the money needed to Pilgrem to help with his rehabilitation and this is her way of doing good. All these organisations (Social services, the police etc) to her are just unlwaful, corrupt organisations working with a lawful “reputation” according to her, to give this money to them would be a bit contradictory really. I like it
she can use all this money to do with what she pleases, she isn’t extremely extravagant with it either.
Posted by Freddie ,
She is helping people along the way sort of
This money allowed her to help Mimi, also provided care for her previous guardian, and in general it allows her to “apply her morality” by giving her almost unlimited resources to do as she pleases. I agree with Freddie 100%… nobody ever gave her anything 
I’m happy with her keeping it ALL.
Posted by Med in Miami, FL ,
I wish she had used the money to help other women and children who are suffering like she did. With that amount of money she could make such a difference and it would help her heal.
Posted by Marsha in Durango ,
I think Stieg was setting it up to go in that direction. MacMillan saying he would quit when he made 10 million and that she needed to decide how the money was going to be used. I think she needed to heal wounds within her before she can decide what to do with the money. I agree with Freddie that no one ever (before now) has done anything for her. You usually do by learning (or by example). It has barely sunk in that people have helped her for nothing in return. I think that books 4-10 would have her being an advocate for others.
Posted by Quincy in Dallas ,
In the 1st book the additional money from Wenger to keep the mouth closed is devoted on order of Salender to “women protection servicies”. She is very moral.
Posted by Fabian in Bern ,
Just a tidbit if it hasn’t been mentioned already. I did a calculation of what Lisbeth’s Fiskargatan appartment cost (you know, the one with the 21 rooms)in today’s US dollars (converted from Swedish krona). The one sold to WASP Enterprises.
Approx. 3 and 3/4 million US dollars.
Posted by SHC in Illinois, USA ,
SHC
she was just pissed that the Sales agent treated her so shabbily, plus she liked the location and it became a great hideout even she only used three rooms and having cleaned out Wernnerstoms drug and arm sales money to the tune of 250 million she could afford it.
Posted by harry in portland ,
Well, it appears she got 2.5 billion ( I guess that would be Krona) She paid 25 million Krona for her apartment. She earned every dime, in my view AND it made it possible to give all she inherited from that slime of a father of hers to charity.
Good on Lisbeth!
Posted by Snowbunnie in Surrey, Canada ,
I agree with Quincy. There’s a hint the cash will be used to further a social cause. Just finished the 3rd book and man what a finish!
Harley Guy
Posted by hg in kitchener, ont ,
I think that she doesn´t really need more than 2000 million dollars!! Maybe she can give some of that to me??!! Just kidding.
I support the idea of donating an amount to any cause that she cared and supported, but that would probably be discussed in the following books…
Posted by Ylse Maggi in Mexico ,
I think that you forgot that she took the whole of the inhertance she received from her mother and gave it to a Battered Women’s Shelter.
Posted by Donna S. in Buffalo, NY ,
Lisbeth also had Vanger Industry donate 2 mil yearly to Sweden’ Women’s Abuse Organization.
Posted by sonya in new britain ,
I have finished Nest and there is lengthy discussion between Lizbeth and Jeremy MacMillan, Esq. regarding the money. It would lead you to believe that in the “Fourth Book” more would be made of it and she would make some serious decisions as to what she wanted to do with it all. She was enjoying her life in away that eating hand to mouth and living in awful low-rent conditions your whole life, to being completely solvent and being able to provide the best of the best for those you care about (Mimmi & Palmgren) that had her so “happy?” “Content?”. She did not really care about how much money she had and made that clear in her conversations with MacMillan, she just wanted to make sure that it could not be traced to her. Honestly you can only assume that it would have been further discussed in the fourth book and there was quite alot of information discussed.
Posted by Donna in Buffalo, NY ,
At one point in the trilogy, it seemed like the plot was veering towards the authorities (Bublanski’s investigation) uncovering the truth about Lisbeth and the money, but then that thread was abruptly dropped. It’s conceivable that future books would have picked up this thread. As far as I’m concerned, I’m glad she has all that money. Call it restitution for a lifetime of being crapped upon. If the other books are ever published, I hope she continues to get away with the money.
Posted by Alex in Victoria ,
We have to remember that Lisbeth may have Aspergers Syndrome, among a host of other problems. She determines the boundaries of her specific morality, but ‘normals’ should not assign feelings and moral conventions that Lisbeth does not possess. She doesn’t give a toss about people outside her sphere of need. She is not without feeling, but her feelings seldom extend outside herself. She’s ‘Spocky’ in many ways.
Posted by Jean Ferguson in Toronto, Canada ,
Re Wennerstom’s money she stole. Money is also symbolic. There may be dual meanings to her theft. First, it was ‘dirty’ money from Wennerstom’s criminal enterprises; arms dealing, drugs, prostitution etc. Lisbeth has feelings of low self-worth. In a way, Wennerstrom’s dirty money is only what she feels she deserves. Secondly, prior to Wennerstrom committing suicide, she knew that she was the only one who knew about his many overseas accounts and the phoney, multi-layered web of ‘businesses’ he used to hide the money. Lisbeth knew he would use that money to escape from Sweden and set up criminal enterprises elsewhere in the world when the investigation closed in on him. So, in order to prevent his ability to escape, she stole every dime of it.
She donated the ‘clean’ money she inherited from her mother to charity. The ‘dirty’ money she kept. Since she has no real need for money, and no ambition, it was merely a windfall. She can’t report the money legally herself or she would come under scrutiny from Swedish authorities…hence her lawyer in Gibralter, and her own secret accounts.
Posted by Jean Ferguson in Toronto, Canada ,
Jean:
Minor nitpick: Herr Wennerstrom did not commit suicide. He was executed by some of his drug/weapon contacts whom he could no longer pay. Three shots, execution style, while he was in Marbella.
Also, I think the money issue boils down a whole lot simpler; Wennerstrom was a bad man, and stealing all his money was her way of punishing him. She didn’t get interested in Wennerstrom at all until Kalle Blomkvist showed her where he nearly drowned his mistress to force her to get an abortion. Mikael makes a point several times of telling the authorities that Lisbeth is a woman who hates men who hate women, and Wennerstrom definitely fell into that category, and so she would have no moral compunction about stealing his money and leaving him for dead.
Posted by Alvie Fletcher in Charlotte ,
In the last pages of “…Nest” Larsson seems to indicate his intent to show how Lisbeth will continue to “socialize” herself which will involve being a friend to the many people she has assisted and have been her allies. including the Vangers, Berger, Mimi, Giannini, MacMillan as well as Blumkvist Palmgren and Armansky. (He also suggest that Salander will be tutored in the fine points of coffee brewing, which will include, no doubt the purchase of a good coffee grinder).
He also indicates that as an extension of the process of socializing herself, Salander will have to integrate her sister, Camille back into her life in some way, if only because she has pretty much blown away the rest of her family:. She is going to have to find Camille to hand off her half of the inheritance. That she will initially reject this chore she knows it is the right thing to do, which will finally compel her.
This process would put her in the way of more adventure if only because there will be Zalechenko wealth and the attendant bad guys who may also be seeking Camille.
It is a rich environment for some one who can exploit it—some one will, I expect. I just hope it si one who has the right set of talents and proclivities.
A woman would be likely.
Posted by turtle in California ,