Why was the Vanderbilt family not on the Forbes list?
The Vanderbilts, still newly rich and with a reputation for crassness from their patriarch Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt, were not on that list.
What did Commodore Vanderbilt tell his oldest son?
The Commodore is said to have told his oldest son, William Henry “Billy” Vanderbilt, “Any fool can make a fortune; it takes a man of brains to hold onto it.” Billy took the advice to heart and doubled the family fortune before his death in 1885, but his own descendants would dwindle it all away in just a few decades.
How old was Cornelius Vanderbilt when he borrowed money?
Part of a New York farming family of modest means, Cornelius “the Commodore” Vanderbilt was 16 when he borrowed $100 from his mother in exchange for plowing eight acres of soil, according to Encyclopedia.com.
Who was the son of Billy Vanderbilt married to?
Despite this, William K. “Willie” Vanderbilt, the son of Billy Vanderbilt and grandson of the Commodore, was married to Alva Smith, a social-climbing force who was determined to be accepted into New York’s high society.
The Vanderbilts, still newly rich and with a reputation for crassness from their patriarch Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt, were not on that list.
The Commodore is said to have told his oldest son, William Henry “Billy” Vanderbilt, “Any fool can make a fortune; it takes a man of brains to hold onto it.” Billy took the advice to heart and doubled the family fortune before his death in 1885, but his own descendants would dwindle it all away in just a few decades.
Part of a New York farming family of modest means, Cornelius “the Commodore” Vanderbilt was 16 when he borrowed $100 from his mother in exchange for plowing eight acres of soil, according to Encyclopedia.com.
Despite this, William K. “Willie” Vanderbilt, the son of Billy Vanderbilt and grandson of the Commodore, was married to Alva Smith, a social-climbing force who was determined to be accepted into New York’s high society.
