The Richest People In U.S. History and How Much They Would be Worth Today

Born: 1750
Business: First Bank of the U.S.
Industry: Financial
Net Worth Today: $800 billion*

Stephen Girard was born in 1750, and he was a philanthropist, banker, and naturalized citizen. He was actually born in France, though, when he died at age 81, he died in Philadelphia. He was so rich that he actually bailed out the US government after the War of 1812. He is credited for saving the newly-formed country from economic collapse.

Stephen Girard / commons.wikimedia

He is the fourth-richest American in the history of the country. He did not have children, so he donated a lot of his money to orphans. He was dedicated to their welfare and education, and he was well-liked during his time.

Most famously of all, Girard’s bank (which was simply called Girard’s Bank) undertook one of the most critical bailouts in American history: extending a record-shattering $1 million line of credit to the President to help rebuild the American economy.

Born: 1836
Business: Erie Railroad
Industry: Railroad
Net Worth Today: $71 billion*

Jay Gould is one of history’s more complex figures. He was a major railroad developer and investor. He was one of the Gilded Age’s so-called “robber barons,” a group of business owners and investors who stopped at nothing to secure their fortunes. His ancestors were Scottish immigrants, and his father was a businessman himself.

Jay Gould ©Everett Historical / Shutterstock.com

He focused his railroad development on the newly-developed American West and the Midwest. He attempted to retake Erie Railroad, but he failed, forcing him to try his hand at a new area of the country. He was able to gain control of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, making a fortune.

Famously, Gould launched a famous market bid to shift the entire American industry towards his shipping companies by attempting to buy the majority of the country’s gold reserves, thus increasing the likelihood of local farmers to sell off their land (and amplifying the need for shipping).

Born: 1764
Business: Renssealerswyck Manor
Industry: Real estate
Net Worth Today: $101 billion*

Stephen Van Rensselaer was a landowner who became rich primarily through the real estate industry. He was also a military officer and former New York politician during the colonial era. After he graduated from Harvard, he took over his family’s estate, known as Rensselaerswyck.

Stephen Van Rensselaer ©Attributed to Richard Morrell Staig / commons.wikimedia

He developed his manor by getting tenants to work the land and settle on it. The land became extremely profitable and took up a sizeable portion of New York. He was a staunch supporter of John Quincy Adams.

You could say that Stephen Van Rensselaer liked to be kept busy, but thankfully for him he made a lot of money from his endeavours. It’s thought that he made over $101 billion in his lifetime. He passed away at the age of 74 in 1839 in New York City.

Born: 1984
Business: Facebook, Inc.
Industry: Social media
Net Worth Today: $73.6 billion*

Mark Zuckerberg – one of the few modern-day billionaires on our list – is the founder of social media giant Facebook, which allows people to connect with one another across the world. Zuckerberg founded the business when he was in college. Originally, he just wanted a social media site that would allow people at other Ivy League colleges to connect with one another.

Mark Zuckerberg © Frederic Legrand - COMEO / Shutterstock.com

But he realized that the business would be immensely profitable if he developed it past that potential. He expanded it across the world, making billions. He is also a philanthropist, donating large portions of his income to charitable causes. He is married to a doctor, Priscilla Chan.

Unlike other big CEOs that create a company, sell it, and run, Zuckerberg has remained heavily involved with Facebook since its inception. Not only is Zuckerberg the founder, but he’s also the chairman, CEO, and controlling shareholder. There simply wouldn’t be a business without him as he’s so integrated into every aspect.

Born: 1973
Business: Google
Industry: Technology
Net Worth Today: $50 billion*

Sergey Brin is a computer scientist who founded Google alongside Larry Page. He was born in Moscow, though he currently resides in California. He attended the University of Maryland, followed by Stanford University, where he got his MS. He moved to the US when he was six, escaping the Soviet Union.

Sergey Brin @AlexLarsn / Twitter.com

He met Page while the two attended Stanford University together. They built the prototype for Google there, and the website found success on-campus. The two suspended their degree programs to build Google in a garage in Menlo Park. He makes, at his own request, just $1 per year.

Brin continued to work as the president of Alphabet right up until 2019, when he decided to step down and let someone else take a turn. Just because he isn’t the president anymore doesn’t mean that he’s not set for life. Back in July 2020, Brin was named the 7th richest person in the entire world at just 47.

Born: 1763
Business: North West Company
Industry: Fur trading
Net Worth Today: $2.26 billion*

John Jacob Astor was a German-American merchant, businessman, and investor who made his fortune both in investing in real estate in New York City and also in the fur trade. He moved to England from Germany when he was a teen, and then transferred to the US right after the start of the Revolutionary War.

John Jacob Astor ©Everett Historical / Shutterstock.com

In the post-War chaos to build America, he built a fur trade empire and monopolized it, taking advantage of the low taxes at the time. He then switched to real estate, buying a huge chunk of what is now modern-day New York City. He died in 1848.

By the time of his passing Astor had surpassed almost every expectation. Not only did he make the kind of money that was just unheard of in his time, culminating in a fortune exceeding $2.26 billion, but he lived longer than your average man. Astor was 84 when he died, when most were lucky to see 50.

Born: 1944 
Business: LucasFilm
Industry: Film 
Net Worth Today: $6.4 billion* 

Through his LucasFilm company, George Lucas created popular, famous franchises such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Along with his film company, he founded LucasArts, as well as Industrial Light and Magic. He sold his film company to Walt Disney in 2012 for a record-shattering $4 billion – which he promptly donated to charity.

George Lucas ©Denis Makarenko / Shutterstock.com

Before Lucas created Star Wars, he also wrote and directed American Graffiti, which was nominated for five Oscars. Together, Lucas and his friend Steven Spielberg completely reinvented Hollywood and created some of the biggest Blockbusters in history.

It’s hard to get an accurate idea of just how accomplished George Lucas is, as he’s done so much in his 76 years. Not only is he a superstar filmmaker, but an avid philanthropist that concentrates on giving as much back as he possibly can. Luckily, he can afford it.

Born: 1906
Business: Ford Motors
Industry: Automotive
Net Worth Today: $200 billion*

Henry Ford was a captain of industry in America, and he was the founder of Ford Motors. He was able to be successful, not because he invented the car, but because he applied the assembly line technique to manufacturing cars, increasing the speed of production and improving the technique.

Henry Ford  ©Sergey Goryachev / Shutterstock.com

He developed the first car that was affordable to most Americans. The auto was no longer an expensive, remote possibility; it was instead a practical thing to have. He also developed the Ford Airplane. He was born in Michigan, and he died there as well, at age 83. He was born in 1906.

It’s hard to imagine a world (or an American economy) without Ford’s enormous influence. Without his expertise and sheer grit and determination, automobiles may never have become the huge part of everyday life that they are now. Even if someone else eventually came up with the idea, would it have been the same?

Born: 1958 
Business: Broadcast.com 
Industry: Technology 
Net Worth Today: $4.1 billion* 

Mark Cuban is from Pittsburgh, and he is one of America’s most famous billionaires today. The outspoken magnate got involved in sales and technology when he was a salesperson for a mid-size company. He talked those customers into joining a business he was starting (a maneuver for which he was fired), setting him on the path to greatness.

Mark Cuban © Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

He founded Broadcast.com and later sold the tech company for $5.7 billion. He now owns the Dallas Mavericks, an NBA team which brings in a lot of money. He also appears on Shark Tank, an investing show that airs on Disney’s ABC.

Cuban once said, “Sweat equity is the most valuable equity there is. Know your business and industry better than anyone else in the world. Love what you do, or don’t do it.” It’s this ethos and work ethic that makes him one of the most popular investors on the series

Born: 1935, 1940
Business: Koch Industries
Industry: Oil & gas
Net Worth Today: $98 billion* (combined)

Charles and David Koch (better known as the Koch Brothers) are part of the wealthy, highly-influential Koch family. The two own Koch Industries, which is the U.S.’s second-largest privately-owned business. It has revenues of more than $100 billion. It is a business engaged in oil and gas industry. It was founded when Fred Koch developed a new method to refine oil into gas.

Charles & David Koch © ReThinkDemocrcy / Twitter.com

The brothers took control of the business after litigation against one another, with Charles and David coming out on top. They are also heavily involved in politics and are major donors to various political causes in America.

The siblings both pour a lot of money into different think tanks as well as libertarian academics. Although their politics may not be to everyone’s taste, there’s no denying that both of them are committed to their causes and aren’t afraid to put their money where their mouths are.

Born: 1931 
Business: News Corp. 
Industry: Media 
Net Worth Today: $21.4 billion*

Rupert Murdoch is an Australian-American media tycoon. His father was a reporter who became a senior exec at The Herald & Weekly Times Publishing. He controlled a lot of the media outlets in Australia. When Murdoch Sr. died, Rupert took over. He formed News Ltd. and began buying up papers in Australia and then the UK.

Rupert Murdoch ©s_bukley / Twitter.com

He then moved to America and set up shop in New York City. He gave up his Australian citizenship when he realized that he had to be only an American citizen to become a media tycoon because of the way the laws work. He owns Fox News.

Murdoch is such a big name that he has become part of pop culture history. British writer Jeffrey Archer based a character on him, but he’s also been featured in numerous TV shows and movies. He played himself in two episodes of The Simpsons while some believe the villain Elliot Carver from the 1997 Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies is also based on him.

Born: 1930
Business: Berkshire Hathaway
Industry: Financial
Net Worth Today: $89.9 billion*

Warren Buffett was born (and still resides) in Omaha, Nebraska, and he is one of America’s richest people. He runs the firm of Berkshire Hathaway, an investment company, and he is a founder of The Giving Pledge, where people who are billionaires promise to give away at least half of their total fortune by the end of their lifetime.

Warren Buffett © Krista Kennell / Shutterstock.com

Buffett attended the University of Pennsylvania, as well as the University of Nebraska. He got into investing when he was in his twenties, and he found that he had a knack for it. His nickname is “The Oracle of Omaha.”

With an astronomical fortune of $89.9 billion, Buffett is one of the richest 90 year olds on the planet. His business history is rich and varied, and like many in his position, not without controversy. Buffett made his first million in 1961 when he was just 30 years old.

Born: 1835
Business: Steel
Industry: Carnegie Steel Co.
Net Worth Today: $372 billion*

Industrial-era tycoon Andrew Carnegie was born in Scotland before he moved to the States. He was an industrialist and philanthropist, and he was a singular pioneer of the US steel industry in the late 1800s. He gave away nearly $350 million to different charities, making him the foremost philanthropist in not only America, but the British Empire as well.

Andrew Carnegie © Everett Historical / Shutterstock.com

He first had a job as a telegraph operator, but he invested his money from that job wisely, investing in railroads, bridges, and oil derricks instead. He raised enough capital to build the Pittsburgh Steel Company, and, as a result, many Pittsburgh buildings bear his name.

After he sold the steel company to J.P. Morgan in 1901 for over $303 million, he overtook John D. Rockefeller in terms of raw wealth. He stayed richer than Rockefeller for quite some time, but as he started to give away sizable portions of his money that began to change.

Born: 1955
Business: Microsoft
Industry: Technology
Net Worth Today: $100.8 billion*

No discussion of wealth could be complete without a mention of Bill Gates, the billionaire founder of Microsoft. Born in Seattle, Bill Gates was interested in computer programming and technology from a young age. He founded Microsoft, the largest PC company in the world, in 1975, and he was the CEO and chair until January 2000.

Bill Gates © JStone / Shutterstock.com

He is still a chairman. He is also the chief software architect of the business. He and his wife founded The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is a charity dedicated to human rights and improving the quality of life for women and children across the globe.

Bill Gates and his work with Microsoft arguably changed the way computing developed throughout the world. Without his genius, it could be an entirely different ball game. The 64-year-old is currently worth around $100 billion which isn’t half bad. From 1995 to 2017, he frequently topped Forbes’ annual rich list.