John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor was born in Walldorf, Germany in 1763 and immigrated to the United States in 1784. Astor became one of the richest people in America. His fortune derived from various business ventures, including the fur trade, real estate, and investments. He is widely considered to be the first multi-millionaire in the United States. Astor built a vast empire through the trading of furs with China and Europe. He also invested in real estate in New York City. Astor was a strong supporter of education and the arts. It is difficult to estimate John Jacob Astor’s exact net worth, because records from that time are incomplete. However, at the time of his death in 1848, his estate was valued at around $20 million, which was an enormous sum of money at the time. Adjusted for inflation, this would be equivalent to several billion dollars in today’s currency.