The noted Titanic couple were John and Madeleine Astor, a wealthy American couple who were among the most famous passengers on the ill-fated voyage. John Jacob Astor IV was a real estate mogul and one of the wealthiest men in the world at the time, while his wife Madeleine was a socialite. They boarded the Titanic in Southampton, England, and were among the many passengers who perished when the ship sank.