Famous 19th Century Bankers

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 1 
J. P. Morgan
(Financier)
J. P. Morgan
12
Birthdate: April 17, 1837
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Died: March 31, 1913
J.P. Morgan was an iconic figure of the economic boom of the Gilded Age and established the investment banking firm J.P. Morgan & Co. He also controlled companies such as U.S. Steel, General Electric, and AT&T. He prevented the American economy from collapsing during the Panic of 1907.
 2 
Andrew William Mellon
(Industrialist, Philanthropist)
Andrew William Mellon
5
Birthdate: March 24, 1855
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: August 27, 1937

The son of wealthy Pittsburgh banker Thomas Mellon, Andrew William Mellon had followed in his father’s footsteps, to be a banker. He had also been the American ambassador to the U.K. and the American secretary of the treasury. He owned companies such as Alcoa, Old Overholt whiskey, and Gulf Oil.

 3 
Amadeo Giannini
(Founder of 'Bank of America')
Amadeo Giannini
3
Birthdate: May 6, 1870
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: San Jose, California, United States
Died: June 3, 1949

Amadeo Giannini was an American banker best remembered for founding the Bank of Italy, which later became Bank of America. He is credited with inventing numerous modern banking practices. Amadeo Giannini is also credited with establishing one of the first trans-national institutions.

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Mayer Amschel Rothschild
4
Birthdate: February 23, 1744
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Frankfurt, Germany
Died: September 19, 1812
The Founding Father of International Finance, Mayer Amschel Rothschild, started what is known as the Rothschild dynasty, which shaped the trajectory of banking and finance in Europe. He had started off as a rare coins dealer and later expanded his banking business through his five sons.
 5 
J. P. Morgan Jr.
(American Finance Executive, Banker and Philanthropist)
J. P. Morgan Jr.
3
Birthdate: September 7, 1867
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Irvington, New York, United States
Died: March 13, 1943

J. P. Morgan Jr. was an American finance executive, banker, and philanthropist. He became the head of the investment banking institution, J.P. Morgan & Co., after his father J. P. Morgan's demise in 1913. J. P. Morgan Jr. was also an important philanthropist, who donated his London residence to the U.S. government in 1920.

 6 
Nathan Meyer Rothschild
(English-German Businessman, Banker, and Financier)
Nathan Meyer Rothschild
3
Birthdate: September 16, 1777
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Free City of Frankfurt Frankfurt, Holy Roman Empire
Died: July 28, 1836
 7 
Hjalmar Schacht
(Reichsminister of Economics (1934 - 1937))
Hjalmar Schacht
3
Birthdate: January 22, 1877
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Tinglev, Denmark
Died: June 3, 1970

German banker Hjalmar Schacht was appreciated for his role in saving the Weimar Republic from inflation and later served as the Reichsminister of Economics under Adolf Hitler. Following as assassination attempt on Hitler, her was imprisoned, but was later freed and then set up his own bank in Düsseldorf.

 8 
James Forrestal
(1st United States Secretary of Defense (1947 - 1949))
James Forrestal
3
Birthdate: February 15, 1892
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Beacon
Died: May 22, 1949

James Forrestal was an American financier who served as the first US Secretary of Defense from 1947 to 1949. He is also remembered for his service as the US Secretary of the Navy from 1944 to 1947. James Forrestal was honored with the Medal of Merit and the Distinguished Service Medal by President Harry S. Truman.

 9 
Jacob Schiff
(German-born American Banker & Philanthropist Who Financed the Expansion of American Railroads)
Jacob Schiff
3
Birthdate: January 10, 1847
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Frankfurt
Died: September 25, 1920

Jacob Schiff was a German-born American banker, philanthropist, and businessman. He is credited with financing the expansion of American railroads. Jacob Schiff also played an important role during the Russo-Japanese War where he helped finance the Japanese military efforts.  

 10 
Marcus Goldman
(American Investment Banker and Founder of the Global Investment Bank 'Goldman Sachs')
Marcus Goldman
3
Birthdate: December 9, 1821
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Trappstadt, Germany
Died: July 20, 1904

Legendary American investment banker Marcus Goldman was born into a German Jewish family of farmers and was part of the first wave of Jewish immigration to America. He went from being a peddler to founding Goldman Sachs, which is now one of the largest investment banks of the world.

 11 
Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild
(British Politician and Zoologist Who Served as a Member of Parliament from Aylesbury)
Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild
3
Birthdate: February 8, 1868
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: England
Died: August 27, 1937

Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild was a British soldier, politician, zoologist, and banker. He is best remembered for his service as the president of the largest Jewish communal organization in the UK, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, between 1925 and 1926. Walter Rothschild also made immense contributions to the field of zoology.

 12 
C. D. Deshmukh
(Banker)
C. D. Deshmukh
3
Birthdate: January 14, 1896
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Mahad
Died: October 2, 1982
 13 
Nathan Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild
(Politician, Banker)
Nathan Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild
3
Birthdate: November 8, 1840
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: London
Died: March 31, 1915
 14 
Junius Spencer Morgan
(American Financier, Banker, and Founder of 'J. S. Morgan & Co')
Junius Spencer Morgan
3
Birthdate: April 14, 1813
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Holyoke, Massachusetts, United States
Died: April 8, 1890

Junius Spencer Morgan was an American financier and banker. The patriarch to the famous Morgan banking house, Morgan is credited with establishing J. S. Morgan & Co. in 1864. He then transformed his banking house into a financial empire with the help of his son, John Pierpont Morgan Sr. 

 15 
Kenneth Grahame
(British Writer)
Kenneth Grahame
3
Birthdate: March 8, 1859
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
Died: July 6, 1932
 16 
John Jacob Astor III
(Financier, Philanthropist)
John Jacob Astor III
3
Birthdate: June 10, 1822
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: February 22, 1890
 17 
Samuel Sachs
(American Investment Banker & Co-Founder of 'Goldman Sachs')
Samuel Sachs
3
Birthdate: July 28, 1851
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Maryland, United States
Died: March 2, 1935

Samuel Sachs was an American investment banker best remembered for co-founding the popular investment banking company Goldman Sachs along with his father-in-law Marcus Goldman. Samuel Sachs is also credited with pioneering the practise of issuing stock as a method to raise funds.

 18 
Moses Montefiore
(Financier)
Moses Montefiore
3
Birthdate: October 24, 1784
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Livorno, Italy
Died: July 28, 1885
 19 
Charles Rothschild
(Banker, Entomologist)
Charles Rothschild
2
Birthdate: May 9, 1877
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: London
Died: October 12, 1923
 20 
Stephen Girard
(American Banker and Philanthropist)
Stephen Girard
3
Birthdate: May 20, 1750
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bordeaux, France
Died: December 26, 1831
 21 
Henry Wells
(Businessman)
Henry Wells
5
Birthdate: December 12, 1805
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Thetford, Vermont, United States
Died: December 10, 1878
 22 
Maggie Lena Draper Walker
(Entrepreneur)
Maggie Lena Draper Walker
2
Birthdate: July 15, 1864
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Died: December 15, 1934
 23 
John J. McCloy
(Diplomat)
John J. McCloy
2
Birthdate: March 31, 1895
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: March 11, 1989
 24 
Walther Funk
(Journalist, Banker, Economist, Politician)
Walther Funk
5
Birthdate: August 18, 1890
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Yasnaya Polyana
Died: May 31, 1960
German economist Walther Funk had joined the army during World War I but later quit for being medically unfit and started his career as a journalist. After joining the Nazi Party, he quickly rose to become the Third Reich’s economics minister and the president of the Reichsbank
 25 
James Fisk
(Stockbroker)
James Fisk
2
Birthdate: April 1, 1835
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Pownal, Vermont, United States
Died: January 7, 1872
 26 
George Herbert Walker
(Banker, Financier)
George Herbert Walker
5
Birthdate: June 11, 1875
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: St. Louis
Died: June 24, 1953
 27 
Otto Hermann Kahn
(Art collector, Banker)
Otto Hermann Kahn
2
Birthdate: February 21, 1867
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Mannheim
Died: March 29, 1934
 28 
Thomas Sutherland
(Founder of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation)
Thomas Sutherland
0
Birthdate: August 16, 1834
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom
Died: January 1, 1922

Thomas Sutherland was a British politician and banker best remembered for founding The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC),  the founder member of HSBC Group. After his demise, a street in Sheung Wan was named after him.

 29 
William George Fargo
(Banker)
William George Fargo
2
Birthdate: May 20, 1818
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Pompey, New York, United States
Died: August 3, 1881
 30 
Charles E. Merrill
(Philanthropist)
Charles E. Merrill
2
Birthdate: October 19, 1885
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Green Cove Springs, Florida, United States
Died: October 6, 1956
 31 
Iwasaki Yatarō
(The Founder of 'Mitsubishi' Multinational Company)
Iwasaki Yatarō
2
Birthdate: January 9, 1835
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Tosa, Japan
Died: February 7, 1885

Born into a samurai noble family of Japan, industrialist Iwasaki Yatarō started his career working for the Yamauchi clan. He later joined a shipping company and later transformed it into Mitsubishi, which formed strong ties with the Japanese government and prospered, branching out to other industrial ventures.

 32 
Alfred de Rothschild
(Banker, Diplomat)
Alfred de Rothschild
2
Birthdate: July 20, 1842
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: London
Died: January 31, 1918

Part of the famous Rothschild banking family from Frankfurt, Alfred de Rothschild started his career with his family’s N.M. Rothschild Bank in London. He later had a 20-year stint as the director of the Bank of England. A passionate art collector, he later also served as a trustee of the National Gallery.

 33 
H.H. K'ung
(Banker)
H.H. K'ung
2
Birthdate: September 11, 1881
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Shanxi, China
Died: August 16, 1967

H. H. Kung was a Chinese politician and banker best known as the husband of Soong Ai-ling, one of the Soong sisters. Kung was highly influential in formmulating the economic policies of the Nationalist government in the 1930s and 1940s.

 34 
Simon Cameron
(Politician)
Simon Cameron
2
Birthdate: March 8, 1799
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Maytown, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: June 26, 1889
 35 
Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach
(German Diplomat and Banker)
Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach
2
Birthdate: August 7, 1870
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: The Hague
Died: January 16, 1950
 36 
August Belmont
(German-American Financier, Diplomat and Politician)
August Belmont
2
Birthdate: December 8, 1813
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Alzey, Germany
Died: November 24, 1890
 37 
William Erasmus Darwin
(First-Born Son of Charles and Emma Darwin)
William Erasmus Darwin
2
Birthdate: December 27, 1839
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: United Kingdom
Died: September 8, 1914
 38 
Anthony Joseph Drexel
(Banker)
Anthony Joseph Drexel
2
Birthdate: September 13, 1826
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died: June 30, 1893
 39 
John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury
(Anthropologist, Politician, Archaeologist, Prehistorian, Banker, Statistician, Naturalist, Zoologist, Entomologist)
John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury
2
Birthdate: April 30, 1834
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: London
Died: May 28, 1913

British banker John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury, better known as Sir John Lubbock, had also been an MP. However, he is best known for his contribution to ethnography and archaeology. He is also credited with coining the terms Paleolithic and Neolithic, and is known for his books on animal behavior.

 40 
Philander C. Knox
(Politician)
Philander C. Knox
2
Birthdate: May 6, 1853
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Brownsville, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: October 12, 1921
 41 
Thomas W. Lamont
(Banker)
Thomas W. Lamont
2
Birthdate: September 30, 1870
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Claverack, Claverack-Red Mills, New York, United States
Died: February 2, 1948
 42 
Charles Yerkes
(Financier)
Charles Yerkes
1
Birthdate: June 25, 1837
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: December 29, 1905
 43 
Albert Kahn (Banker)
Albert Kahn (Banker)
2
Birthdate: March 3, 1860
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Marmoutier
Died: November 14, 1940
 44 
Charles E. Mitchell
(Banker)
Charles E. Mitchell
1
Birthdate: October 6, 1877
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Chelsea, Massachusetts, United States
Died: December 14, 1955
 45 
Jacob Safra
(Syrian-Lebanese Banker)
Jacob Safra
2
Birthdate: 1891 AD
Birthplace: Aleppo, Syria
Died: May 27, 1963
 46 
Sir Francis Baring, 1st Baronet
(Banker)
Sir Francis Baring, 1st Baronet
1
Birthdate: April 18, 1740
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Exeter, England
Died: September 11, 1810
 47 
Henry Villard
(American Financier and Journalist)
Henry Villard
1
Birthdate: April 10, 1835
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Speyer, Germany
Died: November 12, 1900
 48 
Barthold Georg Niebuhr
(Danish–German Statesman, Banker, and Historian)
Barthold Georg Niebuhr
1
Birthdate: August 27, 1776
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
Died: January 2, 1831

Barthold Georg Niebuhr was a Danish-German banker, statesman, and historian. A symbol of national spirit in Germany, Barthold Georg Niebuhr helped invigorate a sense of patriotism and nationalism in students at the University of Berlin. 

 49 
George Fisher Baker
(Financier)
George Fisher Baker
1
Birthdate: March 27, 1840
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Troy, New York, United States
Died: May 2, 1931
 50 
Reginald McKenna
(Politician)
Reginald McKenna
1
Birthdate: July 6, 1863
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: London, England
Died: September 6, 1943