Investor and Businessman

Raskob was one of the richest men in America in the 1920s. By the time of the Wall Street Crash, he was an investor who could single-handedly influence the direction of the stock market. But while he participated in some of the most profitable syndicates and speculations of the time, the core of his investment strategy was to buy and hold stock in stable industries with outstanding prospects for growth, such as Du Pont and GM. Raskob was never a speculator or "plunger" of the type that suffered the worst losses of the Depression, although his extensive interests and losses in Warner Brothers helped create this impression.

Raskob's business interests were diverse, especially in his later years. His ownership interests in the Empire State Building were the core of his assets for many years, but Raskob also invested in mining in Nevada and Mexico, ranching, the aeronautical industry, and pesticides, among many other interests. In many of these investments Raskob balanced a hard-nosed business approach with attempts to provide opportunities for friends and relations.

Investor and Businessman

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