The Astors
He arrived in New York with almost nothing but a case of flutes to sell. He died the richest man in America, and built a rule into his will that protected his family’s fortune for over a century. This is the real story of the Astors: a fur trader’s fortune, a high-society empire, a feud that built one of the world’s most famous hotels, and a single night in the North Atlantic that changed everything.
The Series
John Jacob Astor: The Founder Who Built a Fortune That Outlasted Everyone Else’s
A butcher’s son arrives in America with nothing, and builds the rule that would protect his fortune for over a hundred years.
Caroline Astor and “The 400”: The Woman Who Ruled New York, and the Partner Who Betrayed Her
How one woman decided who mattered in New York society, and the partner whose honesty cost him everything.
The Waldorf-Astoria: The Family Feud That Built a Hotel, and the Rule That Finally Broke
Two cousins, two spiteful hotels, and an unlikely peace that built one of the most famous hotels in the world.
John Jacob Astor and the Titanic: What Really Happened That Night
The richest man on the ship. When it started to sink, none of that money could buy him a place in a lifeboat.
Series Spinoffs
Is HBO’s The Gilded Age Based on a True Story? Caroline Astor’s Real History · Coming Nov 5
Fact vs. fiction: how closely the show actually follows the real Mrs. Astor.
Who Inherited John Jacob Astor’s Fortune? · Coming Nov 12
Not his eldest son. Here’s who actually got it, and why.
How the Astor Family Fortune Actually Split · Coming Nov 19
The rule that protected the fortune for a century finally ended, and not because anyone broke it on purpose.
Why Is It Called Peacock Alley? · Coming Nov 26
The real history of the famous corridor born from a family feud.
Why Was John Jacob Astor on the Titanic? · Coming Dec 3
A divorce, a scandalous remarriage, and a rushed trip home.
What Happened to John Jacob Astor IV’s Fortune After the Titanic? · Coming soon
He left behind $87 million and a will with a clause about remarriage. Here is where the money went, and what happened to other families on the ship.
Enjoying this series? See the broader Gilded Age series, including the Vanderbilts.
This content is for educational purposes only and is not personalized financial, legal, or tax advice.
Astor Family FAQ
Quick answers to the questions people ask most about the Astors. Tap a question to open it.
Who was John Jacob Astor?
A German-born immigrant, the son of a butcher from Walldorf, who arrived in New York in the 1780s with almost nothing. By his death in 1848 he was the richest man in America. Read John Jacob Astor: The Founder Who Built a Fortune That Outlasted Everyone Else’s.
How did John Jacob Astor make his money?
First in the fur trade, through the American Fur Company he founded in 1808, and then in Manhattan real estate. He bought cheap land on the edge of New York City and held it as the city grew north.
How much was John Jacob Astor worth when he died?
About $20 million in 1848, an enormous sum for the time. He is often called America’s first multimillionaire.
Did John Jacob Astor trade opium?
Yes. Starting around 1800, he shipped opium to China, as other American and British merchants did. China had banned it, but the trade was not considered scandalous in America at the time.
Who inherited John Jacob Astor’s fortune?
Most of it went to his second son, William Backhouse Astor, rather than his eldest son, John Jacob Astor II.
Is Astoria named after John Jacob Astor?
Yes. Astoria, Oregon, grew from Fort Astoria, a trading post his fur company set up on the Columbia River in 1811. Astoria in Queens, New York, is also named after him.
Who was Caroline Astor?
The wife of William Backhouse Astor Jr. and the leading hostess of New York society in the Gilded Age, known simply as the Mrs. Astor. Read Caroline Astor and The 400.
What was The 400?
The inner circle of New York high society. Ward McAllister, Caroline Astor’s social partner, claimed only about 400 people truly mattered, a number popularly said to match the capacity of her ballroom. He published the list in 1892.
Who was Ward McAllister?
The social organizer who helped Caroline Astor decide who belonged in society. His 1890 tell-all book, Society as I Have Found It, offended the old guard and led to his fall from favor.
Is HBO’s The Gilded Age based on a true story?
Partly. Caroline Astor, played by Donna Murphy, was a real person, and the society battles are rooted in history. The show’s main families, like the Russells, are fictional.
Why were the Waldorf and the Astoria two separate hotels?
Because of a family feud. William Waldorf Astor opened the Waldorf Hotel in 1893 on the site of his mansion. His cousin, John Jacob Astor IV, opened the taller Astoria next door in 1897, and the two were joined as the Waldorf-Astoria. Read The Waldorf-Astoria: The Family Feud That Built a Hotel.
What is Peacock Alley?
The hallway that connected the Waldorf and the Astoria. Fashionable guests strolled it to see and be seen.
Is the original Waldorf-Astoria still standing?
No. It closed in 1929 and was torn down to make room for the Empire State Building. The new Waldorf Astoria opened on Park Avenue on October 1, 1931.
How did John Jacob Astor IV die on the Titanic?
He helped his pregnant wife, Madeleine, into Lifeboat 4 and asked to join her. An officer refused because women and children were still boarding, so he stayed behind. He was the richest person on the ship. Read John Jacob Astor and the Titanic: What Really Happened That Night.
Why was John Jacob Astor IV on the Titanic?
He and Madeleine were coming home from a long honeymoon in Europe and Egypt. She was pregnant, and they wanted the baby born in America.
How much was John Jacob Astor IV worth?
About $87 million when he died in 1912. His estate was later valued at about $85 million, and his son Vincent received about $69 million of it.
What happened to Madeleine Astor after the Titanic?
She survived and gave birth to their son, John Jacob Astor VI, on August 14, 1912. Her husband’s will gave her $100,000 and the income from a $5 million trust, plus use of his homes, as long as she did not remarry.
Are there any Astors today?
Yes, mainly in Britain. William Waldorf Astor moved to England and was made a viscount in 1917. His descendants still hold the titles Viscount Astor and Baron Astor of Hever.
Where did the Astor fortune go?
It was split over many generations, and much went to charity. Vincent Astor left his fortune to the Vincent Astor Foundation, which his widow, Brooke Astor, led until she closed it in 1997.
How do the Astors compare to the Vanderbilts?
The Astors were old money built on land, and they protected the fortune for generations. The Vanderbilts were new money built on railroads, and later generations spent most of it. See The Vanderbilts: The Full Series.