believe. there was the cunning and crude commodore cornelius vanderbilt. his statue still stands outside new york's grand central station, which he founded. his genius and relentless cunning enabled him to become the richest man in the world with $100 million in 1877. his mania for money would go onto infect generations of vanderbilts in different ways. his son, billy, mocked and discounted by the commodore for much of his life doubled his father's fortune in just eight short years. but subsequent generations began a spending spree, likes of which america had never seen. his sons, cornelius, my great grandfather and his brother, willie, their strong-willed and ambitious wives alice and elva began building palaces in new york and newport. they threw lavish parties to show off their wealth, and make the vanderbilts the kings and queens of new york society. their children's lives were shaped for better and often for worse by the money and the