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Jay Gould

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Entrepreneur

The Resume

    (May 27, 1836-December 2, 1892)
    Born in Roxbury, New York
    Railroad builder and financier
    At various points controlled the Erie, Union Pacific and Missouri Pacific Railroads
    Considered the archetypal robber baron of the Gilded Age

Why he might be annoying:

    He ripped off Cornelius Vanderbilt for $7 million by issuing fradulent Erie stock.
    He put corrupt politcian Boss Tweed on the Erie board of directors, ensuring favorable New York legislation.
    His attempt to corner the gold market using insider information from Ulysses S. Grant's brother-in-law triggered the 'Black Friday' stock market crash (September 24, 1869).
    He boated, 'I can hire one half of the working class to kill the other half.'

Why he might not be annoying:

    He got a taste of his own medicine when a fake Scottish noble calling himself Lord Gordon-Gordon swindled him out of $1 million in Erie stock.
    John D. Rockefeller called him the most skilled businessman he ever encountered.
    Due to his name and large nose, he was often the target of anti-semitic caricatures, despite actually being Presbyterian.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 14 Votes: 78.57% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 7 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 15 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 11 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 10 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 14 Votes: 64.29% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 19 Votes: 89.47% Annoying