https://www.therichest.

com/rich-list/old-money-families-that-have-been-richest-the-longest/

Old Money Families That Have Been Richest The Longest

Believe it or not, no matter how hard top billionaires like Carlos Slim, Warren Buffett and Bill
Gates work, and no matter how much money they rake in, they will never be considered as
equals by the old rich families that have been wealthy for centuries. These families view
themselves as a class of their own, made up of only a few select few, and newcomers to the
world of the rich are not allowed to barge in to their stratosphere.
Old rich families are those whose wealth have been merely inherited and passed down from
generation to generation. They are not like the nouveau riche, whose wealth came fairly
recently as a result of business and investment successes. Old rich families think of
themselves as having ranks equivalent to those of European monarchy. They consider
themselves as high society and quasi aristocratic, whose names alone are enough to conjure
images of prestige and class.
They do not feature that prominently anymore in lists of the richest people on the planet,
but nevertheless, they are still considered as the people on top of the world. Here now is a
list of the old money families that have been richest the longest.
 https://www.therichest.com/rich-list/old-money-families-that-have-been-richest-the-longest/

Astor Family: Considered America’s First Aristocrats

The Astor family is considered as America’s first aristocrats. The family traces its roots to
Germany and England, and is related to other prominent families like the Livingstons, the
Roosevelts, the Dudleys, the Winthrops, and the Bayards. Their earliest known ancestors
worked as butchers in Germany, before the family moved to England to become flute
makers. They then moved to Baltimore where they continued with their flute business,
before becoming merchants of furs, pianos and real estate. Eventually, they moved to New
York.
The family’s imprints can still be seen everywhere. They were once called the landlords of
New York, where some of the places are still named after them, like the Waldorf-Astoria
Hotel, Astor Row, Astor Court, Astor Place, Astor Avenue, and even the Astoria
neighborhood in Queens. There are also towns named Astor in Florida, Georgia, Kansas and
Iowa, as well as places called Astoria in Oregon, Illinois and Missouri. In Wisconsin, there is
also an Astor Park.
The family was especially prominent in Newport, Rhode Island and Mackinac Island in
Michigan. They still have a summerhouse called Beechwood in Newport. The Grand Hotel in
Mackinac Island still has rooms called the Lord and Lady Astor Suites, while the salon is still
called Astor’s.
 https://www.therichest.com/rich-list/old-money-families-that-have-been-richest-the-longest/

Du Pont Family: Played Important Roles in History

If you are in Delaware, you will still feel the power and presence of this old rich family, as its
companies employ up to 10 percent of the entire population. The Du Ponts trace their
lineage to France, where the founder of the family that moved to the United States
originally lived. He was a watchmaker from Paris and he was a Hugeunot, French
Protestants who believed in the teachings of John Calvin. The matriarch had some noble
blood in her as she belonged to a minor royal family. They then moved in 1800 to the United
States where they established the Eleuthere Irenee, a company that manufactured
gunpowder. This was eventually renamed as the E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.
The family amassed massive wealth by selling gunpowder during the Civil War from 1861 to
1865. By World War I, the family had a stronghold of the entire supply of gunpowder used
by the United States.
The family is related to the Astor family, the Rockefeller family, the Roosevelt family and the
Vanderbilt family. They have played a role in some important events in American history,
including the Louisiana Purchase. During the 1800’s, the family carefully orchestrated moves
in order to keep their wealth by arranging intra family marriages between cousins. This
practice was common at the time.
Rockefeller Family: Recently Became Considered as Old Money
 https://www.therichest.com/rich-list/old-money-families-that-have-been-richest-the-longest/

The Rockefeller family was not actually considered old rich before because they made their
fortune quite late when compared to the other families. Eventually, however, they got
accepted as part of the old rich.
The family got rich in the latter part of the 1800’s to the early part of the 1900’s when their
oil business boomed mainly through their company called Standard Oil. The company was
known for its ruthless practices by practicing both horizontal and vertical integration in
order to kill off all competition. Eventually, the courts ruled that the company was an illegal
monopoly. So one of the family’s legacies are the anti trust act that was enacted by
Congress and the big oil companies that resulted from the breakup of Standard Oil. Among
the resulting oil firms were Exxon, Mobil and Chevron, all of which trace its roots to
Rockefeller.
The family was also known for the Chase Manhattan Bank, which is now part of JP Morgan
Chase. They were also heavily involved with landmarks such as the Rockefeller Center, the
old World Trade Center, the Museum of Modern Art, Lincoln Center, Empire State Plaza, and
The Embarcadero Complex in San Francisco.
 https://www.therichest.com/rich-list/old-money-families-that-have-been-richest-the-longest/

Rothschild Family: Was the Richest Family in the World in the 1800’s

The Rothschild family is credited for establishing finance houses throughout Europe. It was
considered the richest family in the world for much of 1800’s. It originated from Frankfurt in
the old Holy Roman Empire and the family members have Ashkenazi Jewish ethnicity.
The family became so powerful that five lines of its Austrian branch were given heredity
titles by Emperor Francis II of the Habsburg Empire in 1816. The Rotshchilds also had a
British branch that was bequeathed with the titles of Baron and Baronet by Queen Victoria.
Today, the Rothschilds may not be as prominent as they were before, though they do still
have interests in a variety of industries, including finance, mining, wine, energy, and
farming. The family is also heavily involved with charity work.
Family descendants could still be found in countries like the United States, the United
Kingdom, the Cayman Islands, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, France, Monaco,
and Luxembourg.
 https://www.therichest.com/rich-list/old-money-families-that-have-been-richest-the-longest/

Vanderbilt Family: Built Grand Central Terminal in New York

The Vanderbilt family traces its roots to the van Salees, one of the first to inhabit New
Amsterdam back in the 17th century. The van Salees are also the ancestors of the Whitneys,
and of prominent personalities like Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and Humphrey Bogart.
The family started amassing wealth when Cornelius Vanderbilt established his shipping and
railroad businesses that soon became an empire. They owned the Michigan Central
Railroad, which led to the establishment of the town of Vanderbilt in the state. The family
also built the Grand Central Terminal in New York, which is why there is a Vanderbilt Avenue
right in midtown Manhattan.
Vanderbilt also donated a million dollars that became the foundation money of Vanderbilt
University in Nashville, Tennessee. He also donated a steamer boat named after him to the
Union during the Civil War. As a result, the government awarded him a gold medal that soon
became the symbol of the family’s titular head.
The family was also known for its 10 magnificent mansions along Fifth Avenue.
Unfortunately, by the middle of the 20th century, the family experienced a major downfall
that led to the collapse of their business empire. Around this time, the last of those great
mansions were demolished.
The Vanderbilts can still be found in New York. They are related to the Goldberg and
Windmiller families, both of which are considered as two of the richest clans in Long Island.
 https://www.therichest.com/rich-list/old-money-families-that-have-been-richest-the-longest/

Old Money
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_money
"Old money" contrasts with the nouveau riche and parvenus. These fall under the category
"new money" (those not from traditionally wealthy families). Some families with "old
money" include:
The Roosevelt family of Manhattan arrived from the Netherlands as colonists and later
became prominent in politics, producing presidents Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt.
The Cabots arrived in Salem from the Isle of Jersey in 1700 and made fortunes in shipping.
At the age of 21, Godfrey Lowell Cabot (see Lowells below) founded the Cabot Corporation,
the largest producer of carbon black in the country.
The Lowell family are descended from Boston colonists. Francis Cabot Lowell began the
fortune in shipping and later textiles. The family has produced several noteworthy
individuals, including Abbott Lawrence Lowell, who presided over Harvard for 24 years.
The Du Pont family fortune began in 1803, but they became an extraordinarily wealthy
family by selling gunpowder during the American Civil War. By World War I, the DuPont
family produced virtually all American gunpowder. In 1968, Ferdinand Lundberg declared
the Du Pont fortune to be America's largest family fortune.[6] As of 2008 E. I. du Pont de
Nemours and Company ranked 81st on the Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S.
corporations.[7]
The Forbes family of Boston made their fortune in the shipping and later railroad industries
as well as other investments. They have been a prominent wealthy family in the United
States for 200 years.
The Astor family made their fortune in the 18th century, through fur trading, real estate, the
hotel industry and other investments.
The Griswold Family of Connecticut made their fortune in shipping, banking, railroads, and
industry. They have been prominent in American politics, producing five governors and
numerous senators and congressmen.
 https://www.therichest.com/rich-list/old-money-families-that-have-been-richest-the-longest/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kerenblankfeld/2016/11/09/billion-dollar-clans-asias-richest-
families-2016/#2a2ad67a5dfe

http://www.forbesindia.com/article/cross-border/the-legacy-of-asias-oldest-family-
businesses/41447/1