John Jacob Astor IV
Acting
Biography
John Jacob Astor IV (July 13, 1864 – April 15, 1912) was an American business magnate, real estate developer, investor, writer, and lieutenant colonel in the Spanish–American War. Astor was also a member of the Astor family and Livingston family. He was among the most prominent American passengers aboard RMS Titanic and perished along with 1,510 others when the ship sank on her maiden voyage. Astor was the richest passenger aboard the RMS Titanic and was thought to be among the richest people in the world at that time, with a net worth of roughly $87 million (equivalent to $2.83 billion in 2024) when he died. Description above from the Wikipedia article John Jacob Astor IV, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
The very name conjures up images of the good life black tie affairs and high society balls. Yet their long saga proves that money is no guarantee of happiness or stability. John Jacob Astor built an empire by parlaying a job in the fur business into a real estate empire so vast he became the richest man in the world. Follow the fortunes of five generations of Astors in this special BIOGRAPHY. From John's son William, who doubled the family fortune and earned the nickname "the landlord of New York," to the astounding charitable contributions of the Astor Foundation, the incredible story of the famed family comes to life through interviews with family members, archival footage and period accounts. Trace the feud and reconciliation that led to the creation of the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, and find out how the Titanic disaster forever transformed the Astors and their reputation.
The Astors: High Society
In “Search for the Titanic”, Orson Welles takes viewers into a massive expedition attempting to locate the remains of the famous unsinkable ship at the bottom of the North Atlantic several years after its sinking on its maiden voyage in April 1912.