Is The Astor Family Still Wealthy?

John Jacob Astor descendants settled in the US and the UK from Germany. As of 2023, William Astor is the only known prominent member of the Astor family.

John Jacob was born in Walldorf in 1763 to Johann Jacob Astor and Maria Magdalena vom Berg. He moved to London, England, at the age of 16 and started working at his uncle's flute and piano manufacturing company called Astor and Broadwood.

John eventually moved to the US after the American Revolutionary War ended in 1783. He initially settled in Baltimore where he fell in love with Sarah Cox Todd, the daughter of his landlady.

The two married in 1785 and went on to have eight kids: Magdalen Astor, Sarah Todd Astor, John Jacob Astor Jr, William Backhouse Astor Sr, Dorothea Astor, Henry Astor II, Eliza Astor, and one unnamed son. Only five of their children survived till adulthood.

John Jacob Astor Grandchildren

John had 16 grandchildren from his three children Magdalen Astor, William Astor Sr, and Dorothea Astor. The rest of his five kids passed away before becoming a parent.

John's eldest child Magdalen was married twice; her first husband was Adrian Benjamin Bentzon, whereas her second husband was John Bristed. Magdalen had two children from her first marriage and one son from her second marriage, named John Jacob Bentzon, Sarah Bentzon, and Astor Bristed, respectively.

Likewise, John Jacob has seven grandchildren from his fourth child William Backhouse Astor Sr. William was married to Margaret Armstrong from 1818 to 1872.

From their marriage, William and Margaret had seven children: three sons named John Jacob Astor III, William Backhouse Astor Jr, and Henry Astor III, and four daughters named Emily Astor, Mary Alida Astor, Laura Eugenia Astor, and Sarah Todd Astor. 

John Jacob Astor also had six grandkids from his fifth child and third daughter Dorothea Astor. Dorothea had six children with her husband Walter Langdon, named Cecilian Langdon, Louisa Langdon, Mary Alicia Langdon, Sarah Astor Langdon, Eliza Langdon, and Walter Langdon Jr.

John Jacob Astor Family Today

John Jacob Astor surviving family members are Mary Jacqueline Astor and William Backhouse Astor. Mary and William are the children of John Jacob Astor VI.

Williams was born as the son of John Jacob Astor VI and Ellen Tuck French in 1935. On the other hand, Mary was born in 1949. She has been in a relationship with John Nicholas Drexel since 1984. The couple has a son named Nicholas Astor Drexel.

However, as of 2023, the whereabouts of both William and Mary are not disclosed.

Besides his direct lineage, John Jacob Astor also has a descendant named Alexandra Aldrich. Alexandra is believed to have descended from the female line of the Astor family. She currently occupies the Rokeby estate in Barrytown, New York.

In her famous 2013 memoir, Alexandra mentioned that, although she is a descendant of John Jacob Astor, she is not a descendant of his money. Although Alexandra has inherited 420 acres of land and even a manor, she doesn't have enough cash to even renovate the property.

Similarly, English businessman and politician William Waldorf Astor III, also known as 4th Viscount Astor, is also a descendant of the Astor family. However, he is not a direct descendant of John Jacob Astor.

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