Astor, John Jacob: - John Jacob Astor was an American business entrepreneur, real estate developer, investor, author, lieutenant colonel in the Spanish-American War, and a prominent member of the Astor family. He died in the early hours of April 15, 1912, when the Titanic sank. Astor was the richest passenger on the RMS Titanic and was regarded to be one of the world's wealthiest persons at the time, with a net worth of approximately $87 million (equal to $2.75 billion in 2023) when he perished. John Jacob Astor IV was an American business entrepreneur, real estate developer, investor, author, lieutenant colonel in the Spanish-American War, and a prominent member of the Astor family. He died in the early hours of April 15, 1912, when the Titanic sank. Astor was the richest passenger on the RMS Titanic and was regarded to be one of the world's wealthiest persons at the time, with a net worth of approximately $87 million (equal to $2.75 billion in 2023) when he perished.