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Born in 1878, William was a direct descendant of the renowned Vanderbilt family. His great-grandfather, Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, had built an empire through railroads and shipping, doubling the family fortune in the process. William’s father, William Henry Vanderbilt, along with uncles, were among America's wealthiest individuals, ensuring that William himself experienced a life of grandeur from the very beginning.
His childhood was marked by exposure to aristocratic leisure: grand Manhattan residences on Fifth Avenue, expansive Long Island estates, and trips to Newport, Rhode Island, where his mother had constructed the famous Vanderbilt Cottage. Such an environment cultivated a sense of privilege that shaped William’s worldview and future pursuits.