The Richest Americans In History
It’s All About The Benjamins
A lot is made these days of wealth disparity and the gaps between the highest and lowest income earners in the Western world. But it’s not a new thing for a relative few people to be in possession of most of the wealth, at least in the United States. Here is a historical list of the richest Americans of the last few centuries (Note: All monetary values are in USD).
Paul Allen (1953-2018)
In 1975, Paul Allen helped found a computer company you might have heard of: Microsoft. With partner Bill Gates, Allen helped revolutionize the world with his work on microcomputers. He left Microsoft in 1983, although he remained on the board, and invested heavily in sports teams and philanthropic work. He left behind him, in 2018, an estimated $20 billion.
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Philip Danforth Armour (1832-1901)
The California Gold Rush gave Philip Armour’s wealth its start, and the savvy businessman used that money to become one of the most successful meat processors and sellers of his time. Armour supplied the US Army during the Civil War. After his retirement, Armour devoted much of his time and wealth to philanthropic pursuits, including low-cost housing for workers.
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John Jacob Astor (1763-1848)
John Jacob Astor was the first multi-millionaire in the United States. He made huge sums of money in the early North American fur trade and was especially important in opening up trade with China. Astor also owned much land in New York City and was instrumental in developing and building what would become Manhattan.
John Insley Blair (1802-1899)
Everyone on this list was extremely wealthy, it’s true. But not all of them were so rich that they founded a town and named it after themselves. John Insley Blair did just that, founding the town of Blair, Nebraska. Blair was heavily involved in rail and mining ventures, as well as numerous other businesses, all of which contributed to his estimated $70 million fortune.
