Cornelius Vanderbilt

Cornelius Vanderbilt, son of W.H. Vanderbilt, was one of the wealthiest men during his time, partially because of his him being brought up by his father who just so happened to be the 4th wealthiest man in the late 19th century. Vanderbilt's first little business was his passenger ferry business in New York where he was raised. He had gotten money from his parents to buy one boat so he could start his business. In his desire for more money, he then started his own steamship company and eventually got to where he was operating a fleet of more than 100 steamboats. He was also the overseer of a transatlantic steamship business.

Vanderbilt first purchased railroads in New York in the 1860's and then provided the first rail service between New York and Chicago. His father was also an expert in the railroading industry because he was the creator of the railroads which is why he was as wealthy as he was. Cornelius got some help because of his fathers wealth in continuing the "railroad dynasty" that his father had started. I don't really see him as much of an original industrialist because of his father practically started what he continued in a sense referring to the railroad industry. I would venture to say that he inherited a lot of his fathers money and didn't necessarily make as much money as is shown on the list of the top American Industrialists from the late 19 century. His father was obviously a much more successful guy than he was. So all in all I don't believe he worked near as hard to get where and what he got.

Corrnelius Vanderbilt looking mighty spiffy, ehh?

Vamderbilt's face on a train

Links of sources:
http://www.biography.com/people/cornelius-vanderbilt-9515195

http://www.nnp.org/nni/Publications/Dutch-American/vanderbiltc.html