Cornelius Vanderbilt

This tycoon, who lived around a century before the Vans, oversaw much more significant alterations to America's infrastructure. He was born in 1794, left school at the age of 11, owned a passenger boat in 1810, and later oversaw a government supply fleet for the War of 1812.

From there, he increased his shipping operations, and by 1829, he was competing with Hudson Bay Shipping for control. By the 1840s, he had become a millionaire. By the 1850s, he had expanded into rail ventures, making him and his family so wealthy that they held literally 10% of the world's currency.

Although his family members said he wasn't of sound mind when he made his will, many of his crazy habits and plans were revealed after his death in 1877. The most noteworthy of them was his idea to turn all of Central Park in New York City into the tallest man-made edifice in the world, a statue of George Washington. He even went so far as to commission designs for the project.

Despite all the commotion around the will, the family lost almost all of their riches within a single generation, which is why the names Rockefeller or Carnegie are often used as shorthand for affluent American dynasties.

Born; May 27, 1794Staten Island, New York, U.S.
Died: January 4, 1877 (aged 82)Manhattan, New York, U.S.