When you think of America’s richest people, what likely comes to mind are famous actors, actresses, musicians, and celebrity CEOs. However, the people that historically account for the wealth in America weren’t always flashy showbiz types.
In fact, if we peel back the clock, you’ll see the true roots of American wealth. Most of them owned major businesses and holding companies, and remained elusive (or infamous) from the public eye. The ones who have passed on laid the groundwork for business owners to make tons of money from certain industries.
Without the likes of Stephen Girard and John Jacob Astor, we likely wouldn’t have massive companies like Facebook or CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg today, all these years later. Without further ado, these are the names that built America’s economic industries – along with those who maintain them today.