Johann Jakob Astor was one of the first great American entrepreneurs. He was born 1763 at Waldorf near Heidelberg and arrived New York in the age of 20 years, like one of many German emigrants. First he was active as dealer of musical instruments, however he changed the musical instruments to furs and founded 1809 a fur-enterprise, which became the basis for his late wealth and career. He shiped the furs to far east, bought tea, which he sold in New York again - all with profit. Astor maked it to get nearly the whole fur-enterprise and founded at strategic important places constant managed stations. The largest component of Astors wealth be owes the groung speculation, mainly in Manhattan. As he died 1848, his property was estimated by 25 million Dollars, and thus he was the richest man of USA. Astors family became the most prominent of the world. 1894 a descendant of the clan founded the hotel "Waldorf", named according to the birthplace of Johann Jakob. A hostile member of the family built after that the famous hotel "Astoria", and by the combination of both hotels arose the world famous "Waldorf-Astoria" at the Park Avenue in New York. Well-known is also the tragic destiny of the great-grandson, Johann Jakob IV., which was the prominentest sacrifice by the sinking of the "Titanic" (1912) .