Part 3/13:
A Passion for Adventure and Speed
Despite—or perhaps because of—his opulent upbringing, William developed daring tendencies early on. Educated by private tutors and at elite schools, he showed little interest in formal academia, briefly attending Harvard before departing. Instead, he was captivated by adventure, particularly in the domains of yachting and emerging automotive sports.
By his teens, William was already skilled at sailing on his father’s yacht and became an enthusiast of automobiles, a nascent industry at the time. In 1898, at just 20, he imported one of America’s earliest motor vehicles, a French De Dion-Bouton tricycle. His zest for speed often made headlines—riding fast on roads with scant regulations, sometimes provoking law enforcement.