Reckless Facts About The Vanderbilts, The Family That Lost It All
They Spent Like Royalty
The Vanderbilts are likely America's closest thing to a royal family—at least, they spent money like one. The money came from Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the lavish spending came from just about anyone carrying the Vanderbilt name.
Watching this family’s dramatic economic decline would be something close to comedy... if it wasn’t so darn tragic.
1. They Had Humble Beginnings
Most people don't know the shocking beginnings of the Vanderbilt family. A man named Jan Aertszoon came to America from the Netherlands in 1650. He was a servant and began working for a rich family known as the Van Kouwenhovens. This new life led to a new name. Little did he know, it would become one of the most recognized names in history.
.jpg){kind=link}
2. His Name Would One Day Be Famous
For his new last name, Jan took the Dutch word "Van" (meaning "from") and combined it with the name of his hometown, "De Bilt". From this, “Vanderbilt” was born.
However, it would be a long time before the Vanderbilt family gained its infamous reputation.
3. He Got Rich
It took a while, but Jan’s great-great-great-grandson started to become wealthy. This was Cornelius Vanderbilt, and he rose up from a lower-class existence on Staten Island and became rich in the shipping and railroad industries.
Soon, it was time to move to greener pastures.
4. They Changed Islands
Staten Island was not quite posh enough for the Vanderbilts, so Cornelius—by this time known as “the Commodore”—looked elsewhere. Around the middle of the 1800s, he moved the family to Manhattan and built a house right on Washington Place. This area is now the affluent Greenwich Village where the kids from TV’s Friends hung out.
Sadly, the Commodore didn’t have much time left.
