Jay Gould

popular name: Hamilton McKown Twombly

date_of_death: 01/11/1910

age: 60

cause_of_death: Tuberculosis of the larynx

claim_to_fame: Business and Finance

best_know_for: Hamilton McKown Twombly was a successful American businessman husband to Florence Adele Vanderbilt Twombly. In 1892, Twombly and his wife were both included in Ward McAllister's "Four Hundred", purported to be an index of New York's best families led by Mrs. Astor, as published in The New York Times. His wife survived him by 42 years and his legacy Florham Estate - then the 10th largest residential home in America (which is now Fairleigh Dickinson University).

popular name: Leona Helmsley

date_of_death: August 20, 2007

age: 87

cause_of_death: Congestive heart failure

claim_to_fame: Business and Finance

best_know_for: Leona Helmsley began her career in real estate, rising from brokerage work to executive positions before meeting Harry Helmsley in the late 1960s. After Harry dumped his wife of 30+ years Leona married him in 1972. Having lost a major lawsuit that caused financial devastation and the loss of her real estate license, she took an increasingly important role in managing the Helmsley hotel empire. She became president of a chain of more than 20 hotels and gained a reputation as a highly demanding manager who closely supervised operations and marketing. As a couple, Harry and Leona expanded their holdings beyond office buildings into luxury hotels. Their empire included the Helmsley Palace Hotel, the Park Lane Hotel, and numerous other hotels across the United States. Their combined holdings were estimated in the billions of dollars. The Helmsleys' careers were overshadowed by a major tax-fraud scandal in the late 1980s. Investigators alleged that personal expenses related to their luxury residences had been improperly charged to business entities (that and she also refused to pay vendors for their labor). Harry was considered too ill to stand trial, but Leona was convicted in 1989 on multiple counts including tax evasion and filing false tax returns. She served about 19 months in prison after her sentence was reduced on appeal. She died alone at her mansion, Dunnellen Hall, at the age of 87. She was laid to rest at Sleep Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, NY.

popular name: Colonel Sanders

date_of_death: December 16, 1980

age: 90

cause_of_death: Pneumonia brought on by acute leukemia

claim_to_fame: Business and Finance

best_know_for: Colonel Harland Sanders was an American businessman and founder of fast food chicken restaurant chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (also known as KFC). When Sanders was only 6, his father died. So at a young age, he had to care for his siblings and did much of the family cooking. At 7 years old, Sanders already had mastered several regional dishes. When he was 40 years old, he began cooking for hungry travelers at a service station in Corbin, Kentucky. Sanders did not have a restaurant, but instead served guests at his own dining room table. As word spread and more people started coming for the food, he moved across the street to a motel and restaurant that seated 142 people. During the next nine years, he perfected his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices that is still used today. This special recipe remains a closely guarded secret. At age 65, Colonel Harland Sanders began franchising his chicken business using his $105 monthly Social Security check. Today, Kentucky Fried Chicken operates more than 5,200 restaurants in the United States and more than 15,000 units around the world. Upon his death he was laid to rest at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky.