The Van Sweringen Brothers

Oris and Mantis Van Sweringen, often known as "the Vans," began their careers in Cleveland, Ohio, as helpers in a fertilizer store. They were born in 1879 and 1881, respectively. They started working on a plan to turn the Cleveland neighborhood of Shaker Heights into a first-rate suburb by 1900. The Van Sweringens stumbled into railroad investing because they needed to construct high speed transport to draw in residents and give them fast routes to and from work.

By 1930, they would command the largest railroad empire in the world, spanning over 30,000 miles across the country, and completely change Cleveland. The brothers oversaw several renovations and standardizations as they grew to become some of the country's first billionaires, which was fortunate for the country since many train lines and other infrastructure components had fallen into disrepair in the wake of an 1893 economic slump.

But they were in no way gregarious. In reality, the brothers deliberately avoided self-promotion. They shared a bedroom in their Shaker Heights mansion and were both lifelong bachelors. They rarely appeared in public, but when they did, they were always seen together.

Sadly, the Van Sweringens' investments were in precisely the categories of property that suffered the greatest losses during the 1929 stock market crash. Their once $3 billion business would be sold off in six years for fire sale prices in 1935. Within a few years, both brothers passed away, leaving no wealth or heirs to continue on their legacy. As a result, all the properties they had once controlled were given new names, thus wiping out their enormous impact.

Oris Paxton Van Sweringen (April 24, 1879 – November 22, 1936) and Mantis James Van Sweringen (July 8, 1881 – December 12, 1935)