The names Jay Gould and James Fisk Jr. are linked in American business history in the age of “robber barons.” Together, they controlled the Erie Railroad, were part of the Tammany Hall set, and wrangled with J.P. Morgan over the Albany & Susquehanna Railroad.

American financier and railroad builder Jay Gould made a fortune by controlling the price of the stocks he bought as well as the stock market itself. He later became one of the shrewdest businessmen in American industry.

Jay Gould, original name Jason Gould, (born May 27, 1836, Roxbury, New York, U.S.—died December 2, 1892, New York, New York), American railroad executive, financier, and speculator, an important railroad developer who was one of the most unscrupulous “robber barons” of 19th-century American capitalism.

How much is Jay Gould Worth? Jay Gould net worth: Jay Gould was an American railroad speculator as well as a developer who had an inflation adjusted net worth of $71 billion dollars. Born in Roxbury, New York on May 27, 1836, Gould was a known villain which led him to be the ninth richest American citizen in history.

While remembered as a shady businessman, many of Gould’s children were thought of otherwise. At the time of his death in December, 1892 Gould was said to be worth about $72 million and while he did donate some money to charitable causes most of his fortune would be willed to his children.

Gould was disliked not only by other businessmen but also by his employees. They both feared and despised him. Gould’s attitude toward his workers was that he hired them to do a job and they should be grateful he did. Gould was against labor unions because they challenged his unfair work practices.

How Did Jay Gould Spend His Money? Jay Gould worked hard on managing companies and trying to integrate his railroad companies. Gould conspired with others to control the gold market by buying all the gold available in New York City. However, he made a fortune off of his gold transactions.

Gould recognized that if the farmers in the Midwest could sell their grain on the global market it would create more volume for his Erie line. He recognized that what is good for others could do him just as well. By manipulating the price of gold, farmers in the Midwest would rejoice and Gould would profit as well.

Included in the list of so-called robber barons are Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and John D. Rockefeller. Robber barons were accused of being monopolists who earned profits by intentionally restricting the production of goods and then raising prices.

John Davison Rockefeller, is known for being one of the richest men on the planet. Rockefeller was considered a “Captain of Industry” because he founded the Standard Oil Company and became a philanthropist, who donated over $500,000,000 to charities, universities, and churches.

The Rockefellers: now What is left of the Rockefeller family fortune is stashed away in charitable trusts or divided among hundreds of descendants. The clan’s collective net worth was an estimated $8.4 billion (£6.1bn) in 2020, according to Forbes, but this figure may be on the conservative side.