Robert Gould Shaw II (1872-1930)

Born into the heart of Boston Brahmin society, his grandfather was already worth $1 million as far back as 1825. RGS II did not follow his father into business but became a socialite in Gilded Age America. He was an international polo player with the Myopia Hunt Club but also became a chronic alcoholic. His private life was filled with tragedy: He divorced his first wife, Nancy Astor, after just six unhappy years and she would go on to find fame in England. Their only child, RGS III, was arrested for being homosexual and later committed suicide after suffering from a lifetime of depression and alcohol abuse. He was married again and had three further sons including Louis who was committed to a psychiatric hospital after murdering his maid in 1964. Shaw's fortune took a severe hit after the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and he died the following year.