10 Wealthiest Historical Figures That Ever Lived

By Christopher Harty / June 23, 2014

10. Cornelius Vanderbilt - £108.75 Billion

American industrialist Cornelius Vanderbilt was one of the first great business tycoons. Vanderbilt was born on Staten Island, New York City, in 1794. He quit school when he was 11-years-old and, when he was 16, borrowed money to start his own ferry service. His work in the ferry business gradually expanded into transportation, acquiring steamboats and adding new lines to his burgeoning business. During the California gold rush in the 1850s, he entered the rail industry and ended up with a railway empire that stretched across much of the United States.

By the end of his life Vanderbilt€™s transportation empire had become a key asset of the United States, making him wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. He died in 1877 at the age of 82.