In this episode of pplpod, we explore the saga of the Vanderbilt family, who rose from humble Dutch origins to become the wealthiest family in the United States. We begin with Cornelius "The Commodore" Vanderbilt, the dynasty’s founder, who turned a single boat into a shipping and railroad empire that made him the richest American by the time of his death in 1877.

Tune in to hear how the Commodore’s descendants—including his son William Henry, who doubled the family fortune—defined the Gilded Age through unprecedented philanthropy and the construction of opulent "summer cottages" like The Breakers in Newport and the massive Biltmore House in North Carolina. Finally, we discuss the mid-20th century "Fall of the House of Vanderbilt," which saw the demolition of their ten grand Fifth Avenue mansions, and look at the family's modern le ...