Biography:

Jay Gould was born on May 27, 1836 in Roxbury, New York and was an American railroad financier and one of the “robber barons”.  He attended Hobart Academy and worked as a surveyor.  He later began dealing in railroad stocks, became business partners with James Fisk and Daniel Drew, and formed a Wall Street Brokerage House.  In 1868, Gould, Fisk, and Drew successfully gained control of the Eerie Railroad from Cornelius Vanderbilt by inflating the value of the company’s stocks.  Gould and Fisk engaged in political bribery and formed a partnership with the infamous William “Boss” Tweed.  On September 24, 1869, Gould and Fisk’s financial schemes led to the panic of “Black Friday” and Gould was forced to relinquish control of the Eerie Railroad.  In the 1870s Gould bought stock of railroads in the West and gained control of several railroad companies including the Union Pacific Railroad.  He also was owner of the Western Union Telegraph Company and the New York World Newspaper.  He died in New York City on December 2, 1892 and left his $72 million fortune to his children.