The Biggest Social Climbers In History

From skinning rabbits to establishing one of the wealthiest dynasties America has ever seen. To his credit, John Jacob Astor, a German-born immigrant, moved up the social ladder on account of his business acumen - he ran a successful fur trade and eventually began investing in Manhattan real estate, so it's not like he set out to rub elbows with the cool kids. Nevertheless, thanks to all his money, he became the king of high society (launching a long line of socialites), and died the first multi-millionaire in the United States.

[Photo via Wiki]