As Vanderbilt’s vast wealth began to trickle down his family tree, his children and grandchildren set about earning their societal ... Emily and William spared no expense when designing their ...

You also probably know they're named for one very powerful family: the Astors ... Brooke Astor died in 2007 at age 105 and was the subject of a four-page obituary in The New York Times.

Mark Twain-1871 Andrew Carnegie, 1910. Library of Congress During the "Gilded Age," every man was a potential Andrew Carnegie, and Americans who achieved wealth celebrated it as never before.