The Tycoon Life & Titanic Death of John Jacob Astor IV | Bedtime Sleep Stories about History (not A.I.)

0:01 [SPEAKER_00]: welcome to calm history. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Harris, and this podcast is my quirky mix of education with sedation. [SPEAKER_00]: So go ahead, lean back, put up your feet, and allow some calm history to distract and relax your overactive brain squirrels. [SPEAKER_00]: This is my second episode about the famous tycoon John Jacobaster IV.

0:39 [SPEAKER_00]: In bonus episode number 53, I shared the bizarre story about their strange man arrested inside the Astro Mansion in 1894. [SPEAKER_00]: Investigations tried to figure out if this strange man was just an innocent homeless man, or was he part of a race or spiring? [SPEAKER_00]: In this episode, I'm going to focus more on John Jacobaster IV, like how did he get so rich?

1:16 [SPEAKER_00]: Why did he bore the Titanic in 1912? [SPEAKER_00]: And what were the details of the last days of his life on that ship? [SPEAKER_00]: Of course, any story about the Titanic is tragic, but this story is also filled with several heartwarming moments. [SPEAKER_00]: In the near future, I'll stitch together both of my episodes about this famous tycoon, so you can enjoy a one-hour silk-plus bonus episode all about the curious history of John Jacob [SPEAKER_00]: in April of 1912, the Titanic sank, resulting in the unfortunate loss of many passengers.

2:21 [SPEAKER_00]: This included John Gigabastor IV, who was the richest person on the ship as what last, the third richest person in the world. [SPEAKER_00]: Which does bet the question, who was richer than asked her in 1912? [SPEAKER_00]: Well, the richest person in the world at this time was John D. Rockefeller, who made his money in the oil industry.

2:54 [SPEAKER_00]: He was worth about $900 million back then, which would be equivalent to over $30 billion today. [SPEAKER_00]: In second place was Andrew Carnegie who made his money in the steel industry. [SPEAKER_00]: He was worth about $300 million, which would be equivalent to over $13 billion today.

3:26 [SPEAKER_00]: And now we get to ask her, who was tied in third place with, JP Morgan, who made his money in the banking industry, and William Rockefeller, the brother of John D. Rockefeller, [SPEAKER_00]: all three of these men were each worth about $100 million, which would be over $3 billion today.

3:58 [SPEAKER_00]: So sure, asked her what's the richest person on the Titanic, but he wasn't the richest person in the world. [SPEAKER_00]: Let me pause to ask you a quick question, would you pay $3.92 a month to access every episode of calm history? [SPEAKER_00]: if so, then good news. [SPEAKER_00]: You can get that special offer on my website right now.

4:40 [SPEAKER_00]: You'll be able to enjoy over 130 episodes all without any ads or silly breaks like this one. [SPEAKER_00]: To get this special offer right now, tap the link in the episode notes or go to calmhistory.com. [SPEAKER_00]: Alright, back to the episode. [SPEAKER_00]: Time to tackle the next big question.

5:14 [SPEAKER_00]: How did Esther make his money? [SPEAKER_00]: well, it was an in oil, steel, banking, or potatoes. [SPEAKER_00]: You might say he made a good chunk of his money in the industry of family fortune. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, he was born into a wealthy family. [SPEAKER_00]: As you probably noticed, I started this episode by calling him, John Jacob Asker, the fourth.

5:50 [SPEAKER_00]: Not only was he preceded by John Jacob Asker, the first, the second, and the third, but he was [SPEAKER_00]: This makes history very confusing. [SPEAKER_00]: Many resources won't mention John Jacobaster, but not clarify which of the eight men they're talking about. [SPEAKER_00]: He just ties my squirrels in a nod I tell you.

6:33 [SPEAKER_00]: Anyway, if Esther number four got a big chunk of his money from a family fortune, where did that money come from? [SPEAKER_00]: Well, Esther number four can think, Esther number one, his great grandfather, but a known as John Jacobaster, the first [SPEAKER_00]: After number one, established the family fortune in the fur trade industry.

7:08 [SPEAKER_00]: He initially focused on the trading of beaver pouts, and then continued on to dominate the entire American fur industry. [SPEAKER_00]: As a result, after number one, became America's first monthly millionaire. [SPEAKER_00]: But he did something else with these prophets. [SPEAKER_00]: That was very smart.

7:36 [SPEAKER_00]: After number one bought a lot of land in New York City, especially in Manhattan. [SPEAKER_00]: His children, grandchildren, and other [SPEAKER_00]: They grew his initial fortune by expanding the fur trade business and developing valuable real estate in New York City. [SPEAKER_00]: For example, you probably heard of the famous luxury hotel, the Waldorf Astoria.

8:14 [SPEAKER_00]: Well, this hotel started as two separate hotels that were right next to each other. [SPEAKER_00]: Asked her number four, built the Astoria, hence the name, and his cousin William Waldorf, built the Waldorf, hence the name of that hotel. [SPEAKER_00]: And then later, a bridge was built to combine them into one grand luxury hotel called the Waldorf Restoria.

8:51 [SPEAKER_00]: So yes, John Jacob Aster, the fourth, didn't hear it a lot of money, but he also grew that fortune through many smart and profitable real estate projects in New York City. [SPEAKER_00]: He ended up owning thousands of properties and was often called the landlord of New York City. [SPEAKER_00]: As a result, asked her number four was dripping in wealth.

9:25 [SPEAKER_00]: his primary residence was a twin mansion in New York City and his other homes included a 2800 acre country estate that was about a hundred miles north of New York City. [SPEAKER_00]: He also owned resources, several cars and a yacht that could seat 60 people in the dining room [SPEAKER_00]: It wore diamond-studded rings and cufflinks, and he carried a gold pocket watch.

10:03 [SPEAKER_00]: In fact, that gold pocket watch was just sold at an auction in 2024. [SPEAKER_00]: It went for one-and-a-half million dollars. [SPEAKER_00]: Let's now step back and look at the big picture. [SPEAKER_00]: after number four is a wealthy man living in New York City in the early 1900s. [SPEAKER_00]: But in 1912 he boards the Titanic in France after he had departed from England.

10:44 [SPEAKER_00]: So what was this rich New Yorker doing in France in 1912? [SPEAKER_00]: Ah, this is where things get a little spicy. [SPEAKER_00]: According to almost every resource on the internet, it had to do with this second marriage, which was viewed as a bit of a scandal by many. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I know you like this juicy stuff.

11:15 [SPEAKER_00]: Let's start with this first wife. [SPEAKER_00]: After married his first wife, in 1891, he was 26, and she was 22. [SPEAKER_00]: After about 18 years of marriage, it ended in a divorce. [SPEAKER_00]: In September of 1911, about two years after that divorce, [SPEAKER_00]: This time, he was 47 years old, and his new bride was, well, 18 years old, that there is almost a 30-year gap in their ages.

12:01 [SPEAKER_00]: As you can imagine, this ruffle some feathers and filled the headlines of many newspapers. [SPEAKER_00]: about four months after getting married, John Aster, and his new wife, Madeline Aster, left for an overseas honeymoon. [SPEAKER_00]: And this is where I think most resources on the internet get it wrong.

12:29 [SPEAKER_00]: many sources state that they went on an overseas honeymoon to escape the negative attention of their 29-year-age difference. [SPEAKER_00]: There are two problems with this logic. [SPEAKER_00]: First point. [SPEAKER_00]: Rich people in the United States often went overseas for their honeymoon at that time, [SPEAKER_00]: second point.

13:02 [SPEAKER_00]: Aster's first marriage was not scandalous, and guess what? [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, they had an overseas honeymoon. [SPEAKER_00]: So, overall, there's nothing unusual about this overseas honeymoon. [SPEAKER_00]: And yet, there is some truth that the honeymoon was used to avoid the American press, but it wasn't just the fact that it was overseas.

13:32 [SPEAKER_00]: It was the fact that they didn't announce a specific return date. [SPEAKER_00]: they expected to be away from the U.S. for several months and would only return when the press had moved on to other scandals. [SPEAKER_00]: In contrast, John Aster's first honeymoon was only one month. [SPEAKER_00]: So, yeah, his second overseas honeymoon was a mix of celebration and evasion.

14:12 [SPEAKER_00]: Fugitives have a lot of names for this. [SPEAKER_00]: It's called laying low, going underground, being on the run, waiting for the dust to settle, [SPEAKER_00]: On January 24, 1912, John and Madeline Aster left New York on an ocean liner and started their extended honeymoon. [SPEAKER_00]: Most of their time overseas was spent in France and in Egypt.

14:54 [SPEAKER_00]: But something caused them to want to return to New York sooner than expected. [SPEAKER_00]: in April of 1912, Madeline Aster was five months pregnant and she wanted to return to New York for the second half of her pregnancy. [SPEAKER_00]: And this is why John and Madeline Aster [SPEAKER_00]: As you already know, John Jacobaster will not survive the Titanic sinking, but the good news is, his pregnant wife will be rescued.

15:41 [SPEAKER_00]: After the Titanic left England, the ship stopped at other ports in Europe before crossing the Atlantic Ocean. [SPEAKER_00]: One of those ports was in France, and this is where the asterus boarded the ship. [SPEAKER_00]: They didn't board by themselves, of course. [SPEAKER_00]: wealthy people travel with assistance, joining them on their honeymoon, and walking with the Aster couple as they boarded a Titanic, or the following.

16:17 [SPEAKER_00]: John's Valle, Madlands made, Madlands private nurse, and also their pet named Kitty. [SPEAKER_00]: And no, Kitty was not a cat. [SPEAKER_00]: It was an air-dale-terrier dog, which makes me think that those love-struck pastors had a good sense of ironic humor. [SPEAKER_00]: As you would expect, they traveled [SPEAKER_00]: on the board, they checked into the luxurious room, or should I say, rooms in plural.

17:10 [SPEAKER_00]: They had reserved three of the most expensive rooms on the ship, all attached to each other on the starboard side. [SPEAKER_00]: Their suite of adjoining rooms had a sitting room, two bedrooms, two wardrobe rooms, and a private promenade deck. [SPEAKER_00]: In 1912, their suite of rooms cost them $4,350 for the voyage.

17:40 [SPEAKER_00]: Today, that would be equivalent to about $133,000. [SPEAKER_00]: Over the next three days, the ship will pick up more passengers in Ireland and then head across the Atlantic Ocean. [SPEAKER_00]: During this time, the Aster's are cited in various parts of the ship. [SPEAKER_00]: Although, John Aster is cited more frequently, because Madeline Aster's pregnancy meant she tired easily, so she tended to spend more time resting inside their suite, or outside on their private promenade.

18:40 [SPEAKER_00]: fellow passenger, Colonel Gracie, recalled seeing Esther frequently and described him as attentive to his wife's comfort throughout the voyage. [SPEAKER_00]: John Esther is also observed walking his dog on the deck on a regular basis. [SPEAKER_00]: He was also reported to be courteous to fellow passengers.

19:07 [SPEAKER_00]: He conversed with other first-class travelers in the smoking room and on the deck. [SPEAKER_00]: Some accounts suggest that he discussed technology and maritime engineering with other passengers. [SPEAKER_00]: These topics reflect his established skills as an inventor and the holder of several patents.

19:34 [SPEAKER_00]: Although Madeleine took several meals inside their suite, the couple was seen dining in the first-class dining salon. [SPEAKER_00]: On the evening of April 14th, the night of the collision, they had dined in the Alachart restaurant. [SPEAKER_00]: This dining facility was a more intimate and private alternative to the main dining room.

20:04 [SPEAKER_00]: After dinner that evening, the esters were seen walking together on the deck before returning to their suite. [SPEAKER_00]: The ship was traveling through concedes, under a clear, moonless sky. [SPEAKER_00]: The temperature had dropped no displays throughout the day, and ice warnings had been received by the ship's wireless operators.

20:29 [SPEAKER_00]: At 11.40pm that night, the Titanic struck an iceberg on her starboard side. [SPEAKER_00]: At this moment, the asterus were inside their suite, and the collision was relatively close to their rooms. [SPEAKER_00]: According to various survivor accounts, the impact was not dramatically violent.

21:01 [SPEAKER_00]: Many passengers barely felt it. [SPEAKER_00]: For those that did, some thought the ship had simply lost a propeller blade. [SPEAKER_00]: due to the proximity of the Aster suite, to the location of the impact, their collision may have been more noticeable to them than others. [SPEAKER_00]: Sure enough, some reports suggest that John and Madeline asked her when a bun deck to investigate shortly after the collision.

21:36 [SPEAKER_00]: Margaret Molly Brown, another first-class passenger and survivor, later a counted seeing John asked her on deck in the initial confusion. [SPEAKER_00]: He reportedly went to the captain's bridge to inquire what had happened. [SPEAKER_00]: He was told the ship had struck ice. [SPEAKER_00]: time for a quick sponsor break, or enjoy over 130 episodes without any breaks like this one by tapping the link in the episode notes and becoming a silk-puss member, it's free for limited time.

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23:56 [SPEAKER_00]: Just visit hymns.com. [SPEAKER_00]: All right, back to the episode. [SPEAKER_00]: I found a testimony statement from a survivor named Helen Bishop, [SPEAKER_00]: She reported that shortly after the collision, she witnessed John Aster talking to the captain. [SPEAKER_00]: Here is that witness statement from Helen Bishop.

24:27 [SPEAKER_00]: My husband awakened me at about quarter of 12 and told me that the boat hit struck something. [SPEAKER_00]: We both dressed and went up on the deck, looked around and could find nothing. [SPEAKER_00]: We looked all over the deck, until one of the stewards met us, and laughed at us. [SPEAKER_00]: He said, you go back downstairs.

24:53 [SPEAKER_00]: There's nothing to be afraid of. [SPEAKER_00]: We've only struck a little piece of ice, and passed it. [SPEAKER_00]: So, we returned to our state room and retired. [SPEAKER_00]: About 15 minutes later, we were awakened by a man who had a state room near us. [SPEAKER_00]: He told us to come upstairs, so we dressed again thoroughly, and went upstairs.

25:21 [SPEAKER_00]: After being there about 5 or 10 minutes, [SPEAKER_00]: One of the men we were with ran up and spoke to the captain, who was just then coming down the stairs. [SPEAKER_00]: Helen Bishop was then asked, who was the person who spoke to the captain? [SPEAKER_00]: She replied that it was John Jacobaster, and she then continued with the following statements.

25:49 [SPEAKER_00]: The captain told him something in an undertone. [SPEAKER_00]: Pastor came back and told six of us who were standing with his wife that would better put on our life belts. [SPEAKER_00]: I went down two flights of stairs to tell my husband who had returned to this state room for a moment.

26:10 [SPEAKER_00]: That was about three or four minutes later that the captain announced that the life belts [SPEAKER_00]: Soon after that announcement, officer's knocked on all of the cabin doors to wake up anyone who was sleeping. [SPEAKER_00]: All passengers were then instructed to put on life belts and proceed to the upper deck.

26:51 [SPEAKER_00]: According to survivor testimonies, John asked her appear calm and collected during this period. [SPEAKER_00]: He was seen comforting Madeline, helping other women, and reassuring passengers. [SPEAKER_00]: It was soon announced that only women and children would be initially allowed into life boats.

27:19 [SPEAKER_00]: The Aster is initially gathered near life boat number four on the port side of the ship. [SPEAKER_00]: This area was designated for first-class passengers who were in nearby cabins. [SPEAKER_00]: However, loading life boat number four proved complicated and time consuming. [SPEAKER_00]: The boat was initially lowered to another deck, so passengers could board through the windows.

27:51 [SPEAKER_00]: Unfortunately, those windows were closed, and time was wasted on getting them opened. [SPEAKER_00]: This delay meant lifeboat number four was one of the last lifeboats to leave the ship. [SPEAKER_00]: During this long wait, John Jacobaster remained at his wife's side. [SPEAKER_00]: Multiple survivors later testified to his composed demeanor, and his efforts to assist others during the loading of life both for.

28:27 [SPEAKER_00]: He helped all of the women and children get into the lifeboat. [SPEAKER_00]: This included his pregnant wife Madeline, as well as her female private nurse and her female maid. [SPEAKER_00]: Similar to John Aster, his male valet and the Aster's terrier dog did not survive the titanic. [SPEAKER_00]: There are detailed reports about the exchanges between John Aster and the officers as his wife was being loaded into lifeboat for.

29:05 [SPEAKER_00]: The most commonly cited account comes from survivors who were nearby. [SPEAKER_00]: According to these witnesses, after helping Madeline into the boat, asked her, asked an officer if he could accompany his wife because she was pregnant. [SPEAKER_00]: The officer reported firmly, no sir, no men are allowed in these boats until the ladies are loaded first.

29:39 [SPEAKER_00]: I found a testimony of statement from a survivor about this specific situation. [SPEAKER_00]: The following statements were made by Archibald Gracie as part of a special investigation inquiry. [SPEAKER_00]: Here is what the witness stated. [SPEAKER_00]: The only incident I remember in particular at this point is when Madeleine Aster was put in the boat.

30:08 [SPEAKER_00]: She was lifted up through the window and her husband helped her on the other side. [SPEAKER_00]: When she got in, her husband was on one side of this window and I was on the other side. [SPEAKER_00]: I heard Mr. Aster ask the second officer whether he would not be allowed to go abort this boat to protect his wife.

30:32 [SPEAKER_00]: The officer said, no, sir. [SPEAKER_00]: No man is allowed on his boat or any of the boats until the ladies are off. [SPEAKER_00]: Mr. Aster then said, [SPEAKER_00]: Well, tell me, what is the number of this boat so I may find her afterwards? [SPEAKER_00]: The answer came back, number four.

30:55 [SPEAKER_00]: Then we went to the boat deck, which was the deck above. [SPEAKER_00]: There were no men allowed in the boats that were loaded below, not one, except the [SPEAKER_00]: According to witnesses, who were in lifeboat number four, asked her called out to Madeline, asking her to keep warm and to be brave.

31:27 [SPEAKER_00]: I found a testimony from a woman who was in lifeboat four with Madeline after. [SPEAKER_00]: Her name was Emily Ryerson, and here is what she remembered about that moment. [SPEAKER_00]: I remember seeing Mr. Aster leaning out over the lifeboat, and officer said, you can't go. [SPEAKER_00]: Mr. Aster replied back, I don't want to go.

31:54 [SPEAKER_00]: I was looking to see if my wife was all right. [SPEAKER_00]: And then Mr. Aster dropped his gloves down to her. [SPEAKER_00]: At 155 a.m., lifeboat number 4 was lowered away, just 20 minutes before the Titanic sank. [SPEAKER_00]: It's reported that Madeline looked up and saw her husband leaning over the deck watching her depart.

32:26 [SPEAKER_00]: After Madeline's departure, several witnesses were called seeing after, on the starboard side of the boat deck. [SPEAKER_00]: During this time, their ship was tilting and sinking into the water. [SPEAKER_00]: One witness reported that John Aster was instrumental in helping to free and launch one of the collapsible life boats.

32:52 [SPEAKER_00]: This occurred as the water was beginning to reach the forward part of the boat deck. [SPEAKER_00]: The final minutes of John Aster's life on the Titanic are unclear. [SPEAKER_00]: It's certain, though, that Aster did not attempt to save himself by forcing himself into any of the lifeboats.

33:19 [SPEAKER_00]: At 22AM, the Titanic's turn rose into the air, and the ship slid into the water. [SPEAKER_00]: When lifeboat forewas launched, with Madlanaster board, it wasn't at full capacity. [SPEAKER_00]: It only contained about 35 passengers, although it had a maximum capacity of 65 passengers. [SPEAKER_00]: Some officers said that this was due to concerns about the lifeboat not being seeworthy if more passengers were added.

34:02 [SPEAKER_00]: other officers said it was because they believed that more passengers would be added further down. [SPEAKER_00]: Regardless, more passengers did soon join Madeline Aster in Lifeboat 4. [SPEAKER_00]: Some of these people were pulled out of the water and others were transferred from other [SPEAKER_00]: The final count of passengers in life boat four ended up being closer to 55 survivors.

34:40 [SPEAKER_00]: After leaving the Titanic, life boat four drifted in the freezing darkness. [SPEAKER_00]: Those aboard had a clear view of the Titanic when it sank. [SPEAKER_00]: The lifeboat had been equipped with lanterns, but the night was pitch black, save for the stars overhead. [SPEAKER_00]: The occupant tuttled together for warmth in the open boat, wearing whatever clothing they had grabbed before evacuation.

35:13 [SPEAKER_00]: At 4am, on April 15th, this steamship Carpathia arrived in the area, [SPEAKER_00]: This was about two hours after Madeline Hester had climbed into the lifeboat, but it would be another four hours until she and the other occupant of lifeboat four would be rescued. [SPEAKER_00]: The process of rescuing survivors was slow and difficult.

35:47 [SPEAKER_00]: The life boats were scattered across several miles of ocean, and it took hours to locate and retrieve them all. [SPEAKER_00]: Finally, at 8 a.m., the survivors in life boat [SPEAKER_00]: Once on board, they were met with blankets, hot drinks, in medical attention. [SPEAKER_00]: The passengers on the Carpathia gave up their cabins and comforts to accommodate the survivors.

36:34 [SPEAKER_00]: 15 minutes after bringing Madeleine after a board, the Carpathia, said sale for New York. [SPEAKER_00]: During this three-day voyage, Madeleine remained largely in her cabin. [SPEAKER_00]: On April 18, 1912, Madeleine asked her disembark the Carpathia in New York City and was greeted by [SPEAKER_00]: seven days after the Titanic sank, the body of John Jacobaster IV was recovered.

37:17 [SPEAKER_00]: The items found on his person included, gold and diamond cuff links, a gold pencil, and about $2,500 in cash, which would be equivalent to you having about $80,000 in cash in your wallet today. [SPEAKER_00]: They also recovered his gold pocket watch, which, as I mentioned earlier, was later auctioned off in 2024 for one and a half million dollars.

37:56 [SPEAKER_00]: On May 4, 1912, almost three weeks after the Titanic sank, John Jacobaster IV was buried at Trinity Church Cemetery in Manhattan. [SPEAKER_00]: About three months after that funeral, Madeline Aster gave birth to a son whom she named [SPEAKER_00]: As per the will, Madeline received financial support from a multi-million dollar trust fund, and she lived in the family mansion.

38:40 [SPEAKER_00]: Four years later, in 1916, Madeline asked her did something that shocked many people. [SPEAKER_00]: She remarried. [SPEAKER_00]: as you might suspect. [SPEAKER_00]: Some people were shocked because they found this disrespectful to her deceased husband. [SPEAKER_00]: But there was another reason that this was a shocking turn of events.

39:11 [SPEAKER_00]: Her prior husband's will stated that if she remarried, she would lose her access to the trust, and her rights to stay in the Astor Mansion. [SPEAKER_00]: At that time, the trust fund was worth about $5 million, which is equivalent to about $150 million [SPEAKER_00]: would you remarry if you knew that you'd lose a access $250 million?

39:47 [SPEAKER_00]: Well, Madelineaster did, and at the young age of 22 years, it was a decision that enabled her to begin a new chapter of her life. [SPEAKER_00]: The death of John Jacobaster IV, and all the other victims of the Titanic, is tragic. [SPEAKER_00]: While the rescue of Madeline Aster, and all the other survivors of the Titanic, is miraculous.

40:29 [SPEAKER_00]: And then there's the story of someone choosing love over millions of dollars, which is [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, history is a roller coaster of emotions. [SPEAKER_00]: this is the end of the episode to enjoy over 130 more episodes of calm history and without any ad so breaks then just become a so-plus member.

41:07 [SPEAKER_00]: It's free for limited time. [SPEAKER_00]: If interested, tap the link in the episode notes or go to calmhistory.com.