John Jacob Astor IV | |
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![]() Astor in 1895 | |
Born | Rhinebeck, New York, U.S. | July 13, 1864
Died | April 15, 1912 North Atlantic Ocean | (aged 47)
Cause of death | Sinking of the Titanic |
Burial place | Trinity Church Cemetery New York City, U.S. |
Education | |
Occupation | Business magnate |
Spouses | |
Children | |
Parent(s) | William Backhouse Astor Jr. Caroline Webster "Lina" Schermerhorn |
Relatives | Astor family |
Signature | |
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John Jacob Astor IV (July 13, 1864 – April 15, 1912) was an American business magnate, real estate developer, investor, writer, lieutenant colonel in the Spanish–American War, and a prominent member of the Astor family. He was among the most prominent American passengers aboard RMS Titanic and perished along with 1,500 people when the ship sank on her maiden voyage.[1] Astor was the richest passenger aboard the RMS Titanic and was thought to be among the richest people in the world at that time, with a net worth of roughly $87 million (equivalent to $2.75 billion in 2023) when he died.[2][3]
Following are sketches of a few of the well-known persons among the 1,300 passengers on the lost Titanic. The fate of most of them at this time is, of course, not known. Col. John Jacob Astor and Mrs. Astor, Isidor Straus and Mrs. Straus, J. Bruce Ismay, Managing Director of the White Star Line: Benjamin Guggenheim, and Frank D. Millet, the artist, are perhaps the most widely known of the passengers. ... .