A couple days ago, Dave Peterson mentioned that AskMen.com did a top 10 list for the wealthiest men to have ever lived — adjusted for inflation in the year 2001. Not surprisingly, the original titans of industry (during the “gilded age“) dominated the top 3 spots.
3. Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877) — $100 billion
2. Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) — $110 billion
1. John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) — $200 billion
Another list that draws along a similar vein is the top grossing movies adjusted for inflation.
Domestic Grosses via BoxOfficeMojo:
5. The Ten Commandments (1956) - $818,750,000
4. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - $886,589,600
3. The Sound of Music (1965) - $890,096,100
2. Star Wars (1977) - $1,113,247,500
1. Gone with the Wind (1939) - $1,262,778,900
Eat that James Cameron.
Be sure to read the wikipedia entry on hyperinflation.