The California Gold Rush inspired countless wealth seekers to give up the lives they knew and head out to the foothills of California to seek untold wealth. Most of them would find that wealth elusive, but a few would find it in unexpected ways.
As it turned out, it was the people who sold things to the miners who ended up building empires. Levi Strauss sold hard wearing dungarees- denim jeans- to the miners, who found them to last longer and be more comfortable than the other pants available to them. Even after the gold rush had lost its luster, Levi's famous jeans became sought after the world over.
Levi Strauss, Original Gangster
You might not know the name James Lick- his name is on a freeway and an observatory- but he became quite wealthy during the Gold Rush in surprising ways. He began his journey on the east coast, taking a ship around South America to get out to California. Taking all of his earthly possessions and money with him, he stumbled upon a deal to buy a huge batch of cacao along the way. This would come in handy upon his arrival in California; he would meet up with his uncle, selling his uncle the cacao beans that would become Ghirardelli chocolate. Formed into chocolate bars, the confections were literal gold and highly prized by the gold miners.
James Lick would take this wealth and immediately parlay it into a real estate business. Itchy San Franciscans were eager to go east to the foothills and buy the supplies they needed to strike gold. They were eager to sell, so James paid pennies on the dollar for prime real estate. When people returned with their newly found riches, he sold it back- at inflated new prices. James Lick became filthy rich.
James Lick, with his magnificent beard.
