Cornelius Vanderbit
Courtesy Everett Collection/Rex-Net worth: $185 billion Source of wealth: Shipping, railroads Lived: 1794-1877 Born in Staten Island, New York City, N.Y., Cornelius
Vanderbilt dropped out of school at 11 and started his own New York Harbour ferry service at just 16. From a $100 loan from his mother, the tycoon was able to grow a
steamboat and shipping empire so large it left him money to earn an even bigger fortune in railroads. Vanderbilt entered the railroad business later in life, buying up
interests in railroads across the northeast United States and Canada. In 1877, at age 82, Vanderbilt died of exhaustion and left behind a lasting legacy, including a
university (Vanderbilt) that is named after him, and a great-great-great-grandson, TV host Anderson Cooper.
