William Henry Vanderbilt (May 8, 1821 – December 8, 1885) was an American businessman and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family.
William Vanderbilt was born in New Brunswick, NJ. In 1877 he inherited nearly $100 million from his father, railroad mogul and family patriarch "The Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, and had increased it to almost $194 million at his death less than nine years later. When he died, he was the richest m...
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William Henry Vanderbilt (May 8, 1821 – December 8, 1885) was an American businessman and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family.
William Vanderbilt was born in New Brunswick, NJ. In 1877 he inherited nearly $100 million from his father, railroad mogul and family patriarch "The Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, and had increased it to almost $194 million at his death less than nine years later. When he died, he was the richest man in the world. Taking inflation into account, his wealth would make him the fourth richest man of all time. See Wealthiest Americans ever. In 1841 he married Maria Louisa Kissam (1821–1896), the daughter of a Presbyterian minister.
Vanderbilt said in an interview with the Chicago Daily News on October 9, 1882, "The railroads are not run for the benefit of the 'dear public' -- that cry is all nonsense -- they are built by men who invest their money and expect to get a fair percentage on the same." In 1883, when questioned by a reporter about...
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