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The second-richest person in terms of wealth compared to contemporary GDP is a subject of dispute. While most sources attribute this status to Andrew Carnegie, others argue that it could be Bill Gates, Cornelius Vanderbilt I, John Jacob Astor IV, or Henry Ford. Determining the lower ranks is an even more contentious debate.
Cornelius Vanderbilt, the founder of the Vanderbilt business dynasty.. The progenitor of the Vanderbilt family was Jan Aertszoon or Aertson (1620–1705), a Dutch farmer from the village of De Bilt in Utrecht, Netherlands, who emigrated to the Dutch colony of New Netherland as an indentured servant to the Van Kouwenhoven family in 1650.
Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877), nicknamed "the Commodore", was an American business magnate who built his wealth in railroads and shipping. [1] [2] After working with his father's business, Vanderbilt worked his way into leadership positions in the inland water trade and invested in the rapidly growing railroad industry, effectively transforming the geography of the ...
The Vanderbilts, one of America's wealthiest Gilded Age families, owned multiple opulent homes. The Breakers in Newport, Rhode Island, was their summer escape.
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William Henry Vanderbilt (May 8, 1821 – December 8, 1885) was an American businessman [1] Known as "Billy," he was the eldest son of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, an heir to his fortune and a prominent member of the Vanderbilt family.
Now a National Historic Landmark, visiting the Breakers is rated as one of top three things to do in Newport and is seen as a tangible symbol of the Vanderbilt family's wealth and social superiority.
It was built between 1893 and 1895 as a summer residence for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, a member of the wealthy Vanderbilt family. The 70-room mansion, with a gross area of 138,300 square feet (12,850 m 2 ) and 62,482 square feet (5,804.8 m 2 ) of living area on five floors, was designed by Richard Morris Hunt in the Renaissance Revival style ...