How much is the Vanderbilt family worth?

The Vanderbilt family's net worth now pales in comparison with what it was when Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt ran the show during the 19th century. The Vanderbilt family fortune was once equal to $185 billion. The Vanderbilt heirs squandered their fortune. Gloria Vanderbilt’s father was the last male heir of the family fortune.

How much was Cornelius Vanderbilt worth?

At its peak, the Vanderbilt fortune was a monumental sum, ranking among the largest of the Gilded Age. Cornelius Vanderbilt amassed a fortune that, by today’s standards, is worth billions. At the time of his death in 1877, his estate was valued at $100 million which is approximately $2.5 billion today according to History.com.

How did the Vanderbilt family get rich?

With no one actively working to increase, or maintain, the family's wealth the Vanderbilts went from some of the richest people in the world, to average, very quickly. It took Cornelius and William Vanderbilt almost 70 years to build the family fortune into one of the largest in the world.