Most sources agree that adjusting for inflation, John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937) the richest man in the United States [1] [2] [3]
There are various methods of comparing individuals' wealth across time, including using simple inflation-adjusted totals or calculating an individual's wealth as a share of contemporary gross domestic product (GDP). For example, economic blogger Scott Sumner noted in 2018 that Rockefeller was worth $1.4 billion when he died in 1937, about $24 billion in dollars adjusted to 2018. Meanwhile, Bill Gates in 1999 was worth nearly $150 billion in dollars adjusted to 2018. [4]
The second-richest person in terms of wealth vs. contemporary GDP is disputed. Most sources list Andrew Carnegie, but others say Bill Gates, Cornelius Vanderbilt I, John Jacob Astor IV, or Henry Ford. Lower ranks are a matter of even bigger debate. Vanderbilt left a fortune worth $100 million upon his death in 1877 ($2,400,000,000 today [5]). As the United States became the world's foremost economic power by the late 19th century, the wealthiest people in America were often also the wealthiest people in the world.
In 1957, Fortune magazine developed a list of the seventy-six wealthiest Americans, which was published in many American newspapers. Jean Paul Getty, when asked his reaction to being named wealthiest American and whether he was worth a billion dollars, said, "You know, if you can count your money, you don't have a billion dollars" and then added, "But remember, a billion dollars isn't worth what it used to be." [6]
The second category, the second to eighth richest individuals, included Andrew Mellon's son, daughter, niece, and nephew. Wealthiest Americans included a total of seven members of the Rockefeller family, five members of the Ford family, four members of the Du Pont family (and a non-family DuPont executive), and four General Motors executives.
$400,000,000 to $700,000,000
$200,000,000 to $400,000,000
$100,000,000 to $200,000,000
$75,000,000 to $100,000,000
In the 1996 book The Wealthy 100, authors Michael Klepper and Robert Gunther placed John D. Rockefeller atop the list of the richest Americans in history, followed by Cornelius Vanderbilt and John Jacob Astor. [7] Bill Gates was the top living person, coming in fifth.
American Heritage magazine published the following list of 40 richest Americans ever in 1998, subtitling it "Surprise: Only three of them are alive today". [8] The list was compiled by taking each person's wealth at death, adding the amount given away during his lifetime, and expressing the total as a fraction of the nation's GDP at the time.
Bernstein and Swan in All the Money in the World (2008) mention the 15 richest Americans in history. [9]
Business Insider agreed on Rockefeller in first, but placed Andrew Carnegie second, followed by Vanderbilt, and Gates. [10]
The following is a list compiled by CNN Money in 2014. [11]
This list names the richest American by half decade starting in 1770. [12]
Year | Name | Picture |
---|---|---|
1770 | Peter Manigault [13] | |
1775 | Robert Morris [14] | |
1780 | William Bingham [15] | |
1785 | Benjamin Franklin [16] | |
1790 | John Hancock [17] | |
1795 | Elias Hasket Derby [18] | |
1800 | Thomas Willing [19] | |
1805 | Stephen Girard [20] | |
1810 | ||
1815 | ||
1820 | ||
1825 | ||
1830 | ||
1835 | Stephen Van Rensselaer [21] | |
1840 | John Jacob Astor [22] [23] | |
1845 | ||
1850 | Cornelius Vanderbilt [24] [25] | |
1855 | ||
1860 | ||
1865 | ||
1870 | ||
1875 | ||
1880 | William Henry Vanderbilt [26] | |
1885 | ||
1890 | John D. Rockefeller [27] [28] | |
1895 | ||
1900 | Andrew Carnegie | |
1905 | ||
1910 | John D. Rockefeller | |
1915 | ||
1920 | Henry Ford | |
1925 | ||
1930 | Andrew Mellon | |
1935 | ||
1940 | Henry Ford [29] | |
1945 | ||
1950 | H. L. Hunt [30] | |
1955 | J. Paul Getty | |
1960 | Howard Hughes [31] | |
1965 | ||
1970 | ||
1975 | ||
1980 | Daniel Ludwig [32] | |
1985 | Sam Walton [33] | |
1990 | John Kluge [34] | |
1995 | Bill Gates [35] | |
2000 | ||
2005 | ||
2010 | ||
2015 | ||
2020 | Jeff Bezos [36] |
richest man 1775 robert morris.
richest man america 1800.
richest man united states 1810.
Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794–1877) succeeded Astor as the wealthiest American.
Consider also Cornelius Vanderbilt, the wealthiest American at the time of his death in 1877.
The richest man in America is Henry Ford.
Most sources agree that adjusting for inflation, John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937) the richest man in the United States [1] [2] [3]
There are various methods of comparing individuals' wealth across time, including using simple inflation-adjusted totals or calculating an individual's wealth as a share of contemporary gross domestic product (GDP). For example, economic blogger Scott Sumner noted in 2018 that Rockefeller was worth $1.4 billion when he died in 1937, about $24 billion in dollars adjusted to 2018. Meanwhile, Bill Gates in 1999 was worth nearly $150 billion in dollars adjusted to 2018. [4]
The second-richest person in terms of wealth vs. contemporary GDP is disputed. Most sources list Andrew Carnegie, but others say Bill Gates, Cornelius Vanderbilt I, John Jacob Astor IV, or Henry Ford. Lower ranks are a matter of even bigger debate. Vanderbilt left a fortune worth $100 million upon his death in 1877 ($2,400,000,000 today [5]). As the United States became the world's foremost economic power by the late 19th century, the wealthiest people in America were often also the wealthiest people in the world.
In 1957, Fortune magazine developed a list of the seventy-six wealthiest Americans, which was published in many American newspapers. Jean Paul Getty, when asked his reaction to being named wealthiest American and whether he was worth a billion dollars, said, "You know, if you can count your money, you don't have a billion dollars" and then added, "But remember, a billion dollars isn't worth what it used to be." [6]
The second category, the second to eighth richest individuals, included Andrew Mellon's son, daughter, niece, and nephew. Wealthiest Americans included a total of seven members of the Rockefeller family, five members of the Ford family, four members of the Du Pont family (and a non-family DuPont executive), and four General Motors executives.
$400,000,000 to $700,000,000
$200,000,000 to $400,000,000
$100,000,000 to $200,000,000
$75,000,000 to $100,000,000
In the 1996 book The Wealthy 100, authors Michael Klepper and Robert Gunther placed John D. Rockefeller atop the list of the richest Americans in history, followed by Cornelius Vanderbilt and John Jacob Astor. [7] Bill Gates was the top living person, coming in fifth.
American Heritage magazine published the following list of 40 richest Americans ever in 1998, subtitling it "Surprise: Only three of them are alive today". [8] The list was compiled by taking each person's wealth at death, adding the amount given away during his lifetime, and expressing the total as a fraction of the nation's GDP at the time.
Bernstein and Swan in All the Money in the World (2008) mention the 15 richest Americans in history. [9]
Business Insider agreed on Rockefeller in first, but placed Andrew Carnegie second, followed by Vanderbilt, and Gates. [10]
The following is a list compiled by CNN Money in 2014. [11]
This list names the richest American by half decade starting in 1770. [12]
Year | Name | Picture |
---|---|---|
1770 | Peter Manigault [13] | |
1775 | Robert Morris [14] | |
1780 | William Bingham [15] | |
1785 | Benjamin Franklin [16] | |
1790 | John Hancock [17] | |
1795 | Elias Hasket Derby [18] | |
1800 | Thomas Willing [19] | |
1805 | Stephen Girard [20] | |
1810 | ||
1815 | ||
1820 | ||
1825 | ||
1830 | ||
1835 | Stephen Van Rensselaer [21] | |
1840 | John Jacob Astor [22] [23] | |
1845 | ||
1850 | Cornelius Vanderbilt [24] [25] | |
1855 | ||
1860 | ||
1865 | ||
1870 | ||
1875 | ||
1880 | William Henry Vanderbilt [26] | |
1885 | ||
1890 | John D. Rockefeller [27] [28] | |
1895 | ||
1900 | Andrew Carnegie | |
1905 | ||
1910 | John D. Rockefeller | |
1915 | ||
1920 | Henry Ford | |
1925 | ||
1930 | Andrew Mellon | |
1935 | ||
1940 | Henry Ford [29] | |
1945 | ||
1950 | H. L. Hunt [30] | |
1955 | J. Paul Getty | |
1960 | Howard Hughes [31] | |
1965 | ||
1970 | ||
1975 | ||
1980 | Daniel Ludwig [32] | |
1985 | Sam Walton [33] | |
1990 | John Kluge [34] | |
1995 | Bill Gates [35] | |
2000 | ||
2005 | ||
2010 | ||
2015 | ||
2020 | Jeff Bezos [36] |
richest man 1775 robert morris.
richest man america 1800.
richest man united states 1810.
Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794–1877) succeeded Astor as the wealthiest American.
Consider also Cornelius Vanderbilt, the wealthiest American at the time of his death in 1877.
The richest man in America is Henry Ford.