Rich 100: From Benjamin Franklin to Bill Gates: The Richest Americans in History Ranking: From Benjamin Franklin to Bill Gates: The Richest Americans in History Ranking

Author: Michael Kleber
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: This book contains the stories of 100 American billionaires, who, compared to the national wealth of their respective eras, are the wealthiest in American history. Starting from the American Revolutionary War, we compare individual wealth to the Gross National Product in present-day dollars. Therefore, John D. Rockefeller's oil empire, with wealth exceeding $1 billion, would appear modest when compared to the $150 billion wealth of Bill Gates' Microsoft empire decades later. Meanwhile, George Washington's $500,000 in property places him above H. Ross Perot, who owned billions, yet Perot himself did not make it onto the wealth ranking list. Detailed explanations of the ranking criteria are provided in the following sections. These 100 profiles offer only a brief depiction of America's business tycoons—from privateers during the American Revolutionary War to scoundrels during the computer revolution. It is a story filled with contrasts and paradoxes. In this story, not only are immense greed and stinginess depicted, but also great acts of charity. It tells the story of a person who rises from unimaginable poverty to possess countless riches. The 100 Richest People is about the power of dreams and the spirit of perseverance in the face of setbacks and challenges. It is also a story of a nation's growth—from steamships to railways, to oil, and then to software.