The Begin Forbes Rich List, 1918

From Forbes, Sepetember 27, 2002:

The First Rich List

This year, nosotros grade the 20th anniversary of the Forbes 400 listing of America’s wealthiest, precisely Forbes did non arrive at its get-go rich listing inward 1982. It was, inward fact, inward 1918. Compiled past times B.C. Forbes, it estimated the wealth of the xxx richest Americans as well as was based upon informed speculation past times “the leading bankers inward America” as well as data on income revenue enhancement filings.

For those curious close how much–and how little–has changed, nosotros acquaint the consummate text of the real get-go Forbes rich list as well as B.C. Forbes’ March 2, 1918, floor inward Forbes magazine.

More From B.C. Forbes: · Who Made Our First List · Three Women Among Richest Americans · Annual Incomes Of $5 Million · Frick Is Second Richest American · Carnegie Comes Next · Fortunes From Staple Products · Henry Ford’s Hundred Million · Five Pay Income Tax On $70 Million · Guggenheims Are Second Richest Family · A Few Possessors Of $60 Million · Schiff In The $50 Million Class · Swift Company Second In Business Volume · A Trifle Of Ten Millions Each Tables: · Our xxx Richest Americans · Sources of America’s xxx Greatest Fortunes · 206 Have $1 Million H5N1 Year Who are the xxx richest persons inward America? This article gives the answer. It embodies non whatever guess of mine, precisely the consensus of persuasion alongside the firstly bankers inward the country. This tin hand the sack live accepted, therefore, equally the most authoritative compilation always made on this subject. The combined fortunes of the xxx richest full $3,680,000,000. The average private fortune is $122,666,666. Not i of the xxx has less than $50,000,000. The full annual income of the xxx is figured at $184,000,000, of which John D. Rockefeller’s percentage is computed at $60,000,000, or almost one-half equally much equally the other 29 pose together. The average income of these multimillionaires is $6,133,333. The smallest income is estimated at $2,500,000 a year. More From B.C. Forbes: · Three Women Among Richest Americans · Annual Incomes Of $5 Million · Frick Is Second Richest American · Carnegie Comes Next · Fortunes From Staple Products · Henry Ford’s Hundred Million · Five Pay Income Tax On $70 Million · Guggenheims Are Second Richest Family · A Few Possessors Of $60 Million · Schiff In The $50 Million Class · Swift Company Second In Business Volume · A Trifle Of Ten Millions Each Tables: · Our xxx Richest Americans · Sources of America’s xxx Greatest Fortunes · 206 Have $1 Million H5N1 Year Three Women Among Richest Americans There are 3 women on the list: Mrs. E. H. Harriman with $80,000,000 (the richest adult woman inward the country), Mrs. Russell Sage with $60,000,000 as well as Mrs. Lawrence Lewis with $50,000,000, the last-named total having descended from Henry H. Flagler of Standard Oil as well as Florida railroad fame. The aggregate amount of coin inward circulation inward the U.S. is less than $5,000,000,000. If the xxx could plough their wealth into cash, they could absorb to a greater extent than than two-thirds of all the coin inward the country. That is a sensational as well as somewhat misleading means of expressing it. The full wealth of the U.S. is directly reckoned at almost $250,000,000,000, as well as so that the xxx richest command less than one-seventieth of it. The 30, however, practice to a greater extent than than one-seventieth of the fiscal ability of the United States, although they are far from beingness able to behave out arbitrarily many of the things alleged past times demagogues as well as believed past times many of the public. Seventy years agone a pamphlet published inward New York pose the issue of millionaires inward the Metropolis at exclusively 19. Last twelvemonth 206 Americans pleaded guilty to having annual incomes of $1,000,000 or more–and paid income taxes on them... ...MUCH MORE First posted May 5, 2014