William Backhouse Astor Sr.
William Backhouse Astor, Sr. (September 19, 1792 - November 24, 1875) became, on inheriting the wealth of his father John Jacob Astor, the wealthiest man in America. He was the last member of the Astor family to enjoy this distinction.
During the American Civil War he successfully brought a case against the income tax imposed by the United States government, which was ruled unconstitutional. His management of the family real estate holdings succeeded in multiplying their value, and he left an estate worth close to $50 million.
It was at this time that the Astor fortune underwent its first major division, between John Jacob Astor III (1822-1890), whose son relocated to Great Britain, and William Backhouse Astor Jr. (1830-1892). His sons, whose side-by-side mansions were on the site later occupied by the first Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (a family property) and then the Empire State Building, inaugurated an era of both more flamboyant living and more generous philanthropy than their austere father and grandfather.
Referenced By
John Jacob Astor
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