Cornelius Vanderbilt — "If I had learned to read and write, I would have been a great man."
If I had learned to read and write, I would have been a great man.
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More from Cornelius Vanderbilt
"I have been driven to the wall by these men, and I mean to have my revenge."
"The only way to succeed is to believe in yourself."
"The only way to succeed is to keep pushing forward."
"I have been in this country a long time, and I have seen many changes. But one thing has never changed: the desire of men to get rich."
"I have nothing to say."
About Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877)
American shipping and railroad magnate whose New York Central railroad and aggressive consolidation built the largest fortune in 19th-century America. Closely associated with John D. Rockefeller (later Gilded Age titan who learned the consolidation playbook). For an intellectual contrast, see Jay Gould, railroad speculator (1836-1892) — Vanderbilt built and ran railroads; Gould watered stock and manipulated markets. Their Erie Railroad rate-war and Gould's Black Friday (1869) gold-corner schemes were the public foil to Vanderbilt's quieter operational consolidation. The cleanest 'industrialist vs speculator' Gilded Age pairing.
Details
Attributed, often cited to highlight his humble beginnings and self-made success
Date: unknown
EducationalVerification
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Found in 1 providers: grok
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