John Jacob Astor arrived in America in 1784 with little money and an eye for opportunity. He began trading furs, built a commercial empire that stretched across the continent, and then made an even bigger bet on the future of New York City. As Manhattan expanded, the land Astor had quietly accumulated became extraordinarily valuable. By the time he died, the German immigrant who had started with nothing had become the richest man in America.
Here’s the story of how an immigrant fur trader built the first great fortune in America.
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