"She was like, no one would be interested,'" said Cooper, host of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360. She posted pictures of her paintings, people would send messages to place orders, and the transactions were handled by Monica, a "long-time, beloved assistant," Cooper said. There was just one wrinkle: Monica didn't exist. He returns to that family history in his new book Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of An American Dynasty. Wealth 'infected' Vanderbilt family: CooperCornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt started the family business in shipping and railroads, and died in 1877 leaving more than $100 million US (equivalent to more than $2 billion US today) behind for his family.

Source: CBC News September 24, 2021 19:57 UTC