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Russell Sage

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Financier

The Resume

    (August 4, 1816-July 22, 1906)
    Born in Verona, New York
    Financier, railroad executive, and politician
    Bought a seat on the New York Stock Exchange (1874)
    Served on the board of directors of the Union Pacific Railroad, Missouri Pacific Railroad, St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, Western Union, Merchants Trust Company, and Fifth Avenue Bank of New York
    Congressional Representative from New York's 13th District (1853-57)
    Net worth at death: $70 million (equivalent to $1.9 billion in 2022)

Why he might be annoying:

    He was convicted of violating New York state usury laws (1869) and fined $500.
    He was rumored to have fathered a child out of wedlock with a chambermaid.
    He was so miserly that when his wife was photographed feeding peanuts to squirrels in Central Park, he confronted her, arguing that old breadcrumbs would do just as well.
    William Laidlaw, who was seriously injured in the bombing attack against Sage (see below), sued, claiming that Sage had used him as a human shield.

Why he might not be annoying:

    His most notable act in Congress was proposing that the federal government purchase Mount Vernon and make it a permanent memorial to George Washington.
    He boasted that he was never a penny short or a minute late in paying off a debt.
    After Sage refused his demand for $1.2 million, Henry L. Norcross set off a dynamite bomb, killing himself and injuring Sage and William Laidlaw, a visiting law clerk (December 4, 1871).
    Although Laidlaw's lawsuit was initially successful, an Appeals Court ruled in Sage's favor (1903).
    His widow, Olivia, used his fortune for philanthropic endeavors, such as founding Russell Sage College (1916).

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying