BILLIONAIRES
and such
WHEN did they live?
At least half of the thirty wealthiest Americans in history lived in the 1800's, and many gained their wealth during the Gilded Age; only two of these elite thirty, Bill Gates and Warren E. Buffet, are still alive in the 21st century. In fact, the single wealthiest American in history, John D. Rockefeller, established his net worth of $192 billion during the Gilded Age.
WHAT did they do?
Most of these exceptionally wealthy men earned their wealth through the domination of a particular market during times when that market was critical to the nation's advancement. For example, during the Gilded Age, three markets were critical: oil, steel, and railroads. As such, those who established control in those sectors -- Rockefeller nearly monopolized oil, Vanderbilt invested heavily in railroads, and Carnegie dominated the steel market -- earned the greatest fortunes.
HOW did they do it?
Getting rich was no easy feat, and in order to rise to the top, morals were often compromised. Monopolization, for example, was considered unfair and greedy, and yet people still drove to completely dominate a given market without a single regard for the ethical implications until the government intervened and they were legally forced to stop. Others engaged in the corruption that ran so rampant during the Gilded Age; many business higher-ups turned blind eyes to the horrible working conditions that the individuals responsible for manufacturing products were subjected to, or placed bribes with government officials to get an extra edge.
But not every billionaire was an amoral monster. Some, in fact, were extraordinarily generous and engaged in philanthropy upon amassing a sizable wealth. Andrew Carnegie, for instance, composed the Gospel of Wealth, an article encouraging the rich to aid the poor. Carnegie was not a hypocrite, and subsequently spent the rest of his life giving back to the public that helped him establish his fortune and invested heavily into educational and social advancement.