Today, the amount is $21 billion. But it was John Jacob Astor IV, a member of the renowned Astor family, who was best known. There are 87 million dollars in his net worth. In our day, Astor's fortune ...

used fake names and gave the false impression that their firm was related to the fabled Astor family of Gilded Age New York. In exchange for the loan, the billionaire offered up more than $400 ...