John Jacob Astor IV

John Jacob Astor IV
Astor in 1895
Born(1864-07-13)July 13, 1864
DiedApril 15, 1912(1912-04-15) (aged 47)
North Atlantic Ocean
Cause of deathSinking of the Titanic
Burial placeTrinity Church Cemetery
New York City, U.S.
Education
OccupationBusiness magnate
Spouses
  • (m. 1891; div. 1910)
  • (m. 1911)
Children
Parent(s)William Backhouse Astor Jr.
Caroline Webster "Lina" Schermerhorn
RelativesAstor family
Signature

John Jacob Astor IV (July 13, 1864 – April 15, 1912) was an American business magnate, real estate developer, investor, writer, lieutenant colonel in the Spanish–American War, and a prominent member of the Astor family. He was among the most prominent American passengers aboard RMS Titanic and perished along with 1,495 others when the ship sank on her maiden voyage.[1] 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 $2.75 billion in 2023) when he died.[2][3]

  1. ^ "Noted Men On The Lost Titanic. Col. Jacob Astor, with His Wife. Isidor Straus and Wife, and Benj. Guggenheim Aboard". The New York Times. April 16, 1912. Retrieved December 10, 2013. Following are sketches of a few of the well-known persons among the 1,300 passengers on the lost Titanic. The fate of most of them at this time is, of course, not known. Col. John Jacob Astor and Mrs. Astor, Isidor Straus and Mrs. Straus, J. Bruce Ismay, Managing Director of the White Star Line: Benjamin Guggenheim, and Frank D. Millet, the artist, are perhaps the most widely known of the passengers. ... .
  2. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  3. ^ "Col. John Jacob Astor left estate worth $86,966,611". Spartanburg Herald. South Carolina. Associated Press. June 14, 1913. p. 1.