The richest Americans in history come primarily from several eras of extreme inequality.
One group of robber barons, like John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie, lived between the Gilded Age and the Roaring Twenties.
Then there are the tech mavens and investors who made a fortune in the past twenty years.
We identified peak net worth for historical figures based on scholarly estimates. All figures are adjusted for inflation.
#13 Warren Buffett
Peak fortune: $63.9 billion
Born: 1930
Source of wealth: Investments. The Oracle of Omaha joined Berkshire Hathaway as chairman in 1970 and hasn't looked back. He has pledged to give away 99 percent of his money.
Estimate from 2008 Forbes list of billionaires, adjusted for inflation.
#12 Sam Walton
Peak fortune: $64.5 billion
Born: 1918
Source of wealth: Founded Walmart in 1962 and lived a famously humble life. As Walmart keeps growing, Walton's four children have individual fortunes around $20 billion each.
Estimate from economist Peter Bernstein via Forbes, adjusted for inflation.
#11 Marshall Field
Peak fortune: $66.1 billion
Born: 1834
Source of wealth: He started the retail store chain Marshall Field and Co. in Chicago during the Civil War.
Estimate from economist Peter Bernstein via Forbes, adjusted for inflation.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
For the latest news, visit Business Insider. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
See Also:
- 10 Celebrities Who Got Busted For Tax Evasion
- You Can Buy An Imitation White House For $4.7 Million
- This Abu Dhabi Palace Will Cost $490 Million And Span An Incredible 2 Million Square Feet
Full story at http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/4VLWM767V38/richest-americans-ever-2011-4
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment