Leila Philip explains how John Jacob Astor founded America's first multi-millionaire fortune by overhearing traders discuss the massive profit margins on beaver fur. Astor leveraged the Lewis and Clark expedition to establish global trade routes, utilizin

Season 8 Episode 370  ·  Jan 26, 01:49 AM

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Leila Philip explains how John Jacob Astor founded America's first multi-millionaire fortune by overhearing traders discuss the massive profit margins on beaver fur. Astor leveraged the Lewis and Clark expedition to establish global trade routes, utilizing beaver pelts—which functioned as a literal currency—to jumpstart American capitalism before the species was nearly wiped out.
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Leila Philip describes observing a local beaver pond, noting how these animals create wetlands that act as the "coral reefs of North America" by supporting immense biodiversity. She also recounts the Algonquin legend of the Great Beaver, a story that expl
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