In a country without landed aristocracy, the Vanderbilts, Morgans, Astors and Rockefellers, were as close to American royalty as they possibly could be – with the titles and palaces to prove it. These tycoons made fortunes in oil, steel, railroads and banking during the latter half of the 19th century; interrupting the staid respectability of the old guard with their lavish lifestyles, yachts, priceless art and palatial mansions on Fifth Avenue. John D. Rockefeller, often considered the richest man in American history amassed a $30bn fortune (adjusted for inflation) through ownership of Standard Oil. Cornelius Vanderbilt left behind $2.7bn (in today's money) through a massive shipping and railroad empire. His heirs were considered new money arrivistes who used their enormous wealth to build mansions and collect priceless art in hopes of launching themselves into New York society. John Pierpont Morgan launched a banking dynasty that became a predecessor of the modern-day financial giant JPMorgan Chase. In 1901, Morgan bought out Andrew Carnegie's steel company for $480 million ($16 bn today) and restructured it as US Steel which today is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Within a few generations, these enormous Gilded Age fortunes would be all gone, depleted by heirs who spent lavishly, or descendants who dedicated themselves to philanthropy. With filming for season two of HBO's period drama, The Gilded Age underway, DailyMail.com takes a look at the true lives and scandals that inspired the hit series.