From mink coats to extravagant jewels, RICHARD BURTON nearly went broke trying to accommodate wife ELIZABETH TAYLOR's lavish lifestyle.
That's just one of the fascinating revelations unearthed by The ENQUIRER in a stash of secret personal documents that once belonged to Hollywood's most-storied couple.
The world knew Liz and Dick as a glamorous, jet-setting couple who traveled the world and spared no expense on luxuries.
In secret documents revealed to The ENQUIRER, their personal records show that between 1966 and 1968, they traveled to California, England, Switzerland, Italy, France, Africa, Austria, Germany, Holland and many other exotic places.
But the newly discovered documents – which Liz and Dick abandoned more than four decades ago at the home of a neighbor in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – reveal that Richard was struggling to support their posh lifestyle. Liz's love of luxury was rapidly draining his once-fat bank accounts.
In a 1970 memo from Richard's secretary, the actor was warned he couldn't afford a necklace that Liz wanted him to buy for her. The price tag: $1 million after taxes.
"There is not sufficient money in the coffers to pay for the jewels," Burton's secretary insisted in one of the letters handed to The ENQUIRER. "Over the past two years, the out-flow of money has greatly exceeded in-flow…at the moment, such a purchase is unthinkable."
Richard, desperate to please Liz, considered trading in the jewelry Liz had been given by her third husband Mike Todd who had died tragically in a plane crash in order to afford the necklace. It is not known if Liz knew of his plan.
But Burton's assistant said the gems given to Liz by Todd were "consistently overvalued" and were probably worth only about $200,000 – not millions, as Liz had been told by Todd.
"This situation exists because of… Mike Todd's placing higher values on jewelry for insurance purposes," the secretary wrote.
"But, most importantly, the money for the purchase is just NOT available."
Burton heeded his assistant's advice and didn't make the buy.
But the hard drinking Welsh thesp dropped plenty to keep his twice married – twice divorced relationship with Liz afloat.
Get all the details in the ENQUIRER – plus Burton's feud with John Wayne!
