What happened to James Buchanan Duke? Measurements, Salary



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James Buchanan Duke (1856-1925) was an American tobacco and electric power industrialist and philanthropist. He was the co-founder of the American Tobacco Company, which at one time was the largest tobacco company in the world. He also helped to develop Duke University and Duke Power.

Duke was born in Durham, North Carolina, on December 23, 1856, to Washington Duke and his wife, Artelia Roney Duke. His father was a farmer who later became a successful tobacco manufacturer. His mother died when he was six years old. He had four brothers and two sisters.

Duke was educated at Trinity College (now Duke University) and at Phillips Exeter Academy. He began his business career working for his father’s tobacco company. In 1881, he and his brother Benjamin N. Duke founded the American Tobacco Company. The company grew rapidly, and by 1890 it was the largest tobacco company in the world.

Duke was also instrumental in the development of Duke University and Duke Power. He donated $40 million to Trinity College in 1924, which allowed the school to expand and become a university. He also helped to establish Duke Power, which provided electricity to much of North Carolina.

Duke was married twice. His first wife, Sarah Lillian Martin, died in 1896. His second wife, Nanaline Holt Inman, was an heiress whom he married in 1900. The couple had two children.

Duke died on October 10, 1925, at his home in New York City. He was worth an estimated $1.2 billion at the time of his death, making him one of the richest men in the world.

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia