Astor was not just the richest man on the Titanic, but widely believed to be the richest man in the world at the time of his death. He was worth an estimated $150 million, or $3.5 billion in today's dollars.

Astor was on the ship returning home from a months-long honeymoon with his new wife, Madeleine Talmage Force, who, at 18 years of age, was 28 years younger than him. The extended honeymoon was actually a way to escape society's gossip — Astor had just been divorced within two years of his new marriage, which was relatively unheard of back then.

Astor's body was one of the few that was recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after the ship went down. Among other possessions, he was found with $ 2,440 in his pocket (roughly $60,000 today).