John Hancock
John Hancock was an American merchant, statesman, and Patriot of the American Revolution. Hancock is widely regarded as one of the “Founding Fathers” of the United States. Born in 1737, he inherited a successful shipping business from his uncle and became one of the richest men in the colonies. Hancock was a strong advocate for colonial rights. He is best known for his large signature on the Declaration of Independence. In addition to his political activities, Hancock was a major benefactor of Harvard College. Despite his wealth, Hancock was also a deeply flawed individual. He had a complicated personal life and a history of financial scandals. It’s difficult to estimate his actual net worth, because records were not properly kept. But his estate was valued at around $500,000 at the time of his death in 1793. With modern inflation, that’s equivalent to several million dollars.