George Washington Vanderbilt II was the grandson of American business magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt who, at the time of his death, was the richest man in the United States. The history of American businesses and corporations will be incomplete without a mention of the Vanderbilt family. The family was founded by business titan Cornelius Vanderbilt who, through hard work, perseverance, foresight and a bit of ruthlessness, built a business empire that had interests in shipping and railroads.
George Washington Vanderbilt II Biography
George Washington Vanderbilt II was the youngest child of William Henry Vanderbilt – heir to the Vanderbilt fortune. He was born on November 14, 1862 in New York. As was common with most aristocratic children, young Vanderbilt attended a cluster of private schools, but was mostly homeschooled by private tutors. Family records indicate that George showed early signs of a quick wit and was largely introverted.
By the age of twelve, he was already immersed in reading and was developing a culture of documenting every book he read in a diary. As he neared adulthood, George had acquired a huge appetite for travel and traveled to various countries, learning various languages.
While his older brothers focused on running the family business empire, George ran the family farm in New Dorp, New York. A year after completing his first building, at 9 West 53rd Street, in 1887, he set about constructing his own mansion – Biltmore, for which he purchased 125,000 acres of timber in North Carolina. At this sprawling building, he deals with horticulture, scientific agriculture, animal breeding and forestry. Biltmore is considered the first professionally managed forest in the United States.
Beyond his interests in wildlife and forestry, George funded the construction of public libraries in the country. He also bequeathed his impressive private collection of 23,000 volumes to posterity.
His brothers and sisters
George was the last of eight children born to Maria Louisa and William Henry Vanderbilt. He had two older brothers and five older sisters. Cornelius Vanderbilt II (1843-1899) was his older brother. The others are Margaret Louisa Vanderbilt (1845-1924), William Kissam Vanderbilt (1849-1920), Emily Vanderbilt (1852-1946), Florence Adele Vanderbilt (1854-1952), Frederick William Vanderbilt (1856-1938) and Eliza Eliza Osgood . Vanderbilt (1860-1936).
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Other Facts About George Washington Vanderbilt II
Atrociously missed the tragic Titanic Voyage
George and his wife Edith had bought tickets for the Titanic’s maiden voyage only to cancel their trip on April 9, barely a week before the famous ship sank. His wife’s sister is said to be the one who triumphed over the couple and convinced them that a maiden voyage could bring unexpected surprises.
Although they did not make the trip, their luggage was on board. George servant Edwin Wheeler, died as a second class passenger, as he had most likely made the journey to accompany his master’s baggage.
Net value
Of all his siblings, George had the least involvement in the family business, as he had interests beyond business. He was the odd one out and the extra time-consuming bookworm to study wildlife and forestry, among other things. During his lifetime, he built the largest private home in the United States, a 250-room mansion named the Biltmore Estate. The property sits on a 175,856 square foot tract of land and was designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt.
George Washington Vanderbilt II inherited $1 million from his grandfather Cornelius Vanderbilt and when he turned 21 he inherited another million dollars from his father. When his father died on December 8, 1885, he inherited $5 million and an additional $5 million from a family trust fund.
He was an avid reader
While most of his family members had interests in expanding families’ fortunes or starting a business, George was more removed from the limelight. A favorite of his father, George fostered a quieter, studious life. From the age of 12 until his death at the age of 51, George read 3159 books. It averages eighty-one books a year.
His death
George Washington Vanderbilt II died early at age 51 in Washington, DC from complications following an appendectomy. He died on March 6, 1914, and was buried in the Vanderbilt family mausoleum in New York
