Founders cover image

#54 The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt

Founders

00:00

Vanderbilt's Adventures in Nicaragua

Next week I'll discuss the later life of Cornelius Vanderbilt. He amassed wealth as a competitor in the steamboat business, cutting fares against established lines until he forced his rivals to pay him to go away. His early life was filled with fistfights, high-speed steamboat duels, engine explosions and his later days were marked by daredevil harness races and high-state confrontations. The subtitle of the book that I'm gonna cover next week says how Cornelius Vanderbilt invaded a country to overthrow America's most famous military adventurer.

Transcript
Play full episode

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app