3 ms·

I actually read the biographies of the 12 richest Americans in history a few years ago. The common thread across all these men - they never sold any part of the

• nobodyandproud 6y ago
  I said “ruthless”, not “evil”. There is a difference. Individuals like Jay Gould crossed the lines to get his way (attempted kidnapping? bribery?). While others Russell Sage never gave his money for philanthropy (in his case, it was his second wife after he died). Likewise, John Osgood’s life was all about trying to make more money before he croaked. George Pullman, who controlled his own town and controlled the postal mail, prevented mail for his town from getting the through (it built up to rioting and striking). In fact virtually all were against unionization, though they took different approaches to head it off. And it took the Federal government to trust bust and create a genuine middle class. The details are what makes one scrupulous or not. More disturbingly, many of their ideas and approaches will be familiar today.