I rarely...RARELY...agree to take photos of people but my "Portraits for a Plug" initiative has been a worthy exchange on the road. My friends give me driveway space and a plug. I give them beautiful family portraits. Deal. On my last major stop before turning East to Wilmington I swing into Charlotte for a first appearance with a little guy who just couldn't wait to get here. His mother is my hero. She's a "take-no-bullshit" kind of business woman who, in her leisure time, s
It must be hard to keep up with the Vanderbilts. When grandpa Cornelius died his adjusted net worth was $185 billion dollars. Even a full throttle effort to make poorly considered investments (say, bitcoin or a warehouse inventory of colorful leggings) would still be hard for the grand-grand-grand-grand kids to blow. I've already shown you The Breakers. The family's Newport, Rhode Island summer getaway that was inhabited just 6 weeks per year. Imagine that's your neighbor. Th
Cornelius Vanderbilt fashioned a shipping and railroad empire within a single lifetime and subsequently built himself wealth beyond measure. (Not paying income tax sure helped) THAT he did it deserves respect. HOW he did it, far from it. Like all Industrialists it took cutthroat tactics and competitive maneuvers to outdo all others for the most money and power in America. Cornelius was known to shut down bridges and shutter the stock market to cripple companies and overthrow