American Moguls: 1776-2023

By Mark Wyatt McGinnis

Sixteen American Moguls Robert Morris - 1734-1804, Stephen Girard - 1750-1831, John Jacob Astor - 1763-1848, Cornelius Vanderbilt 1794-1877, Jay Gould - 1836-1892, Andrew Carnegie - 1835 - 1919, John D. Rockefeller - 1839-1937, Andrew Mellon - 1855-1937, William Randolph Hearst - 1863-1951, H. L. Hunt - 1889-1975, Walt Disney - 1901-1966, Howard Hughes Jr. - 1905-1976, Warren Buffett - 1930-, Bill Gates - 1955-, Jeff Bezos - 1964-, Elon Musk - 1971- I created American Moguls after realizing how much the very wealthy men of America have shaped the history of this country from its founding to the present. In American Moguls, I selected 16 individuals I found particularly interesting. They are but a fraction of those whose wealth shaped America. We often look to politicians or military leaders as those who have made the nation, but standing shoulder to shoulder with them have been the business elite, frequently exerting a strong influence on those politicians and military leaders. Most of the 18th and 19th-century moguls I chose are the epitome of the "rags to riches" legend, some started poor, and some started incredibly poor. In the 20th and 21st centuries, that paradigm shifted to where most of the moguls came from wealthy to very wealthy families. This changed the character of the super-rich. It was not so much a sense of entitlement but a lack of knowing struggle. What drove these men to accumulate such vast fortunes? Some simply wanted the money, but these were fewer than you might think. Some wanted the power money would give them, some wanted celebrity, some wanted to win, some wished to defeat enemies, and a few wanted to share the wealth. The last began with Andrew Carnegie, whose largesse can still be seen in the library structures he funded dappling the nation. But philanthropy has only recently reached its pinnacle with Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, who have pledged 99% of their vast fortunes to charity. Throughout America's history, the ordinary people idolized the super-wealthy, adhering to the myth, "that could be me!" But the chances have always been about the same as winning the Powerball lottery super-jackpots of today. Despite that, millions pour a piece of their meager income into the lottery for the the atom-size chances of joining the super-rich. It seems irresistible. In America, the top 5% wealthiest own 2/3 of the country's wealth, and this is not declining. It is projected that by 2030, 1% will own that 2/3. I did the portraits of the moguls at a small scale, 7" X 7". They are painted with acrylic on paper using decorative, symbolic borders I have employed in many series. I aimed to create a general likeness of the mogul with expressive nuances reflecting their lives and health. Mark Wyatt McGinnis Boise, Idaho 2023

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0BYR86GNX
• ISBN13: 9798387575907
• Release Date: March 2023
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 87 Pages
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.2" x 6.0"