John Jacob ASTOR was an early American tycoon who made his fortune in the fur trade and real estate. He was the first multi-millionaire in the United States and is considered to be one of the country's first great entrepreneurs. ASTOR was born in Germany in 1763 and immigrated to the United States in 1784. He established a successful fur trading business and later invested in real estate, becoming one of the wealthiest men in the country.