Rubi. Everyone who knew him called him simply Rubi. And he was famous, the handsome Porfirio Rubirosa Ariza, to give his full name. Men admired his thrilling lifestyle and his class, women fell for his bewitching charm — hardly any could resist him. And why would they? Life is short. In Porfirio Rubirosa’s case, sadly only 56 years long. But in that time he lived more than others do in a century.
Born in the Dominican Republic in 1909 and raised in Paris, he combined a Latino’s joie de vivre with the savoir-vivre and elegance of a Frenchman — a heady combination that opened the doors to the diplomatic service, the jet set and women’s hearts. He married five times; two of his wives, the heiresses Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton, were rivals not only for him but for the title of richest woman in the world. He was also linked with Ava Gardner, Marilyn Monroe and Zsa Zsa Gabor. A true gentleman, he never disclosed intimacies — and yet it became common knowledge that Rubirosa’s most masculine attribute was decidedly large: the waiters at the Paris restaurant Maxim’s reportedly named their enormous pepper mills «Rubirosa».
His perfect manners and intelligence made Rubirosa a successful diplomat — rumour has it he also worked as a spy. His character inspired Ian Fleming’s James Bond. Like Bond, Rubi loved adventure: a gifted diver, an accomplished polo player, he shone as a pilot and raced cars with passion, for instance at Le Mans. Speed and action were his life — but also the cause of his early death in 1965. At the wheel of his silver Ferrari 250 GT convertible he crashed into a tree early one morning and died on the way to hospital, having celebrated his victory at the French Polo Cup long into the previous night. To the very end he stayed true to his motto: «I would risk everything to avoid boredom.» He died as he had lived: fast.
This article appeared in MEN issue 1/21 (November 2021).
