James Ben Ali Haggin: A King for all Seasons

Description

The names of most of America's great tycoons are well-known: Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jay Gould, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, George Hearst and Henry Ford, to name a few. However, there are some moguls whose names are not well known though they could match dollar-for-dollar and story-for-story the lives of the most famous titans. James Ben Ali Haggin is one of them. The New York Times reported: "It was the rise of ‘James B.,’ as he was known, from a struggling lawyer . . . to the greatest mine owner on earth, the greatest turfman, and the greatest land owner in the West, that gave him the international reputation which he enjoyed.” Haggin had a profound impact on California, on the nation's mining operations, on agriculture, and horse racing while amassing one of the world's great fortunes. George Hearst made his fortune because he was fortunate enough to have Haggin and Lloyd Tevis as his partners, but Haggin was by far more successful. Award-winning author Daniel Alef tells Haggin's compelling story. [1,908-word Titans of Fortune article]

Reviews

None