The Man Who Started It All
Cornelius Vanderbilt was the great-great-great-grandson of Jan Vanderbilt, and he was the first family member to bring the family to prominence. Before him, the Vanderbilts were nothing but an ordinary, insignificant family. Cornelius left school at just 11 years old and started working on his father’s ferry in New York Harbor.
Cornelius Vanderbilt. Photo by Granger / Shutterstock
It wasn’t a lavish start, but it was the beginning of a railroad and shipping empire that would eventually generate the family’s early wealth. Given the time – the 19th century –the Vanderbilts were noticeably rich. But Cornelius wasn’t just rich, he was one of the wealthiest people on the planet.