John Jacob Astor

AKA:

Landlord of New York

Birth Name:

Johann Jakob Astor

Birth Date:

July 17, 1763

Birth Place:

Walldorf, Germany

Death Date:

March 29, 1848

Place of Death:

583 Broadway, New York City, New York

Age:

Cause of Death:

Natural causes

Cemetery Name:

Trinity Church Cemetery and Mausoleum

Claim to Fame:

Business and Finance

Associates:

John Jacob Astor (1763-1848) was a German-born American businessman, merchant, real estate mogul, and investor. Astor made his fortune mainly in a fur trade monopoly, by exporting opium into the Chinese Empire, and by investing in real estate in or around New York City during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was the first prominent member of the Astor family and the first multi-millionaire in the United States.

Fun Facts

At the time of his death in 1848, Astor was the wealthiest person in the United States, leaving an estate estimated to be worth between $20 and $30 million, (equivalent to about $744 million to $1116 million in 2025) or 0.9% to 1.35% of estimated US GDP at the time.

Astor left the bulk of his fortune to his second son William, because his eldest son, John Jr., was sickly and mentally unstable. Astor left enough money to care for John Jr. for the rest of his life. William continued building the family fortune, and was an ancestor of John Jacob Astor III, John Jacob Astor IV, and John Jacob Astor VI.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Trinity Church Cemetery and Mausoleum

770 Riverside Drive

New York City, New York, 10032

USA

North America

Map:

Trinity Church Cemetery and Mausoleum in NYC

Grave Location:

Westerly Division, Astor Vault, Lots 791A & 791B

Grave Location Description

As you enter the cemetery from West 153rd Street take a sharp left then a right and drive straight ahead about 200 feet. You are then going to take a hard left and look for the mausoleum W. ASTOR on the right. The cross and Astor name signifying the final resting place of John Jacob Astor IV, Caroline Astor and several family members. Drive up to the staircase and look to your left for the tall oblisk with ASTOR VAULT carved in the front. This is the final resting place of John Jacob Astor Sr. Note you cannot stop here. Drive down to the office and then walk back up the hill for viewing.

Grave Location GPS

40.83300129298836, -73.94835432728892

Photos:

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FAQ's

John Jacob Astor was born on July 17, 1763.

John Jacob Astor was born in Walldorf, Germany.

John Jacob Astor died on March 29, 1848.

John Jacob Astor died in 583 Broadway, New York City, New York.

John Jacob Astor was 84.

The cause of death was Natural causes.

John Jacob Astor's grave is in Trinity Church Cemetery and Mausoleum

Videos Featuring John Jacob Astor:

The Dark Story of America's Richest Landlord: John Jacob Astor

Secrets of The Astor Family (Documentary)

The Final Astors: Where The Astor Family Is Today

Astors: The High Society | Full Documentary

John Jacob Astor: The Robber Baron Who Became America’s First Multimillionaire

Watch YouTube video titled How Mrs. Astor Created “High Society”

John Jacob Astor