Part 3/13:
While serving in politics, Aldrich didn’t rely solely on government salaries. He wisely invested in banking, electric companies, gas utilities, the rubber industry, and sugar trade—sectors that thrived in America’s Gilded Age. His savvy financial dealings, coupled with close relationships with industrial magnates of the era, allowed him to quietly amass a vast fortune. Major business leaders showered Aldrich with stock, loans, and lucrative opportunities—transforming a former grocery seller into a wealthy and influential figure.