This list may contain powerful families, but few can lay claim to having serious influence on both sides of the Atlantic ocean. Even fewer can claim to have worked their way back from the New World to the old. The Astors set the standard for this: they made their initial fortune in 18th century New York as traders in goods such as furs, but soon put their money to savvy use in buying real estate. This would eventually lead to the nickname 'Landlords of Manhattan'. Apart from building several hotels and residential blocks, the Astors were also responsible for civic buildings such as the New York Public Library. In modern New York, their presence is obvious in the number of buildings, roads and suburbs named after them. The Astors expanded their influence to the UK, where Nancy Astor became the first woman to sit in the House of Commons. They have also been elevated to British royalty. Today the Astors have sold much of their property in New York, but they remain a dominant and powerful American dynasty.
The World's Most Powerful Families
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