Historic house
Vanderbilt family
New York Central Railroad · United States · founded 1810
America's richest family of the mid-19th century, built on steamships and then railroads.
Family fortune
Not published
No desk publishes a consolidated family-level figure for this house.
Generations
7
Documented members
4
Industries
Shipping, Railroads
Founders, principals and heirs
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Founder · generation 1 · 1794–1877
Built the shipping and railroad empire.
William Henry Vanderbilt
Principal · generation 2 · 1821–1885
Doubled the fortune in eight years.
Gloria Vanderbilt
Heir · generation 5 · 1924–2019
Artist and fashion designer.
Anderson Cooper
Heir · generation 6 · 1967–
Journalist; son of Gloria Vanderbilt.
Legacy
The fortune was substantially dissipated within two generations; no Vanderbilt appeared on later wealth indexes.
Evidentiary standard
Family fortunes are only recorded where a named wealth desk publishes a standing family-level estimate; the source and valuation date are shown with the figure. Houses whose assets are held through charitable trusts, foundations, or sovereign vehicles carry no figure, because no verifiable personal total exists. Lineage entries are limited to publicly documented family members.