BUSINESSPERSON

Cornelius Vanderbilt

1794 - 1877

Photo of Cornelius Vanderbilt

Icon of person Cornelius Vanderbilt

Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877), nicknamed "the Commodore", was an American business magnate who built his wealth in railroads and shipping. After working with his father's business, Vanderbilt worked his way into leadership positions in the inland water trade and invested in the rapidly growing railroad industry, effectively transforming the geography of the United States. As one of the richest Americans in history and wealthiest figures overall, Vanderbilt was the patriarch of the wealthy and influential Vanderbilt family. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Cornelius Vanderbilt has received more than 6,851,322 page views. His biography is available in 45 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 42 in 2019). Cornelius Vanderbilt is the 102nd most popular businessperson (up from 127th in 2019), the 1,143rd most popular biography from United States (up from 1,419th in 2019) and the 33rd most popular American Businessperson.

Cornelius Vanderbilt is most famous for being the richest man in America at the time, and for being the founder of the Vanderbilt family.

Memorability Metrics

  • 6.9M

    Page Views (PV)

  • 61.72

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 45

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 3.15

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 5.02

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among BUSINESSPEOPLE

Among businesspeople, Cornelius Vanderbilt ranks 102 out of 847. Before him are Nathan Mayer Rothschild, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Michele Ferrero, Ferdinand Piëch, Charlie Munger, and Louis Chevrolet. After him are Christophe Plantin, Roy O. Disney, Solomon R. Guggenheim, Ethan Allen, Fred Trump, and Joan Laporta.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1794, Cornelius Vanderbilt ranks 3. Before him are Antonio López de Santa Anna, and Matthew C. Perry. After him are Elias Magnus Fries, Infante Francisco de Paula, Duke of Cádiz, Theobald Boehm, William Whewell, Józef Bem, Ignaz Moscheles, Wilhelm Müller, Aimable Pélissier, and Eduard Rüppell. Among people deceased in 1877, Cornelius Vanderbilt ranks 13. Before him are Henry Fox Talbot, Gustav, Prince of Vasa, Maria Anna of Bavaria, Sophie of Württemberg, Johan Ludvig Runeberg, and Amalie Auguste of Bavaria. After him are Juan Manuel de Rosas, Yaqub Beg, Hermann Grassmann, Nathan Bedford Forrest, Antoine Augustin Cournot, and Ludwig Ritter von Köchel.

Others Born in 1794

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Others Deceased in 1877

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In United States

Among people born in United States, Cornelius Vanderbilt ranks 1,143 out of 20,380. Before him are James Cagney (1899), William Styron (1925), Charles Cooley (1864), George H. Hitchings (1905), Jean Webster (1876), and Paul D. Boyer (1918). After him are Edith Wharton (1862), Shelley Winters (1920), Steve Reeves (1926), Gena Rowlands (1930), Jeremy Renner (1971), and George Carlin (1937).

Others born in United States

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Among BUSINESSPEOPLE In United States

Among businesspeople born in United States, Cornelius Vanderbilt ranks 33. Before him are Mark Zuckerberg (1984), Benjamin Guggenheim (1865), Estée Lauder (1906), Paul Allen (1953), Gordon Moore (1929), and Charlie Munger (1924). After him are Roy O. Disney (1893), Solomon R. Guggenheim (1861), Ethan Allen (1738), Fred Trump (1905), Christina Onassis (1950), and William Randolph Hearst (1863).

American born Businesspeople

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