Cyrus Field, the man who started it all, was always academically ahead of his peers. At the age of sixteen he convinced his father to allow him to become an entrepreneur. Field moved to New York where he would spend the majority of his life. In the 1830s, canals were an investment craze, and New York could not get enough of them, for they connected the city. These canals led to an unexpected building boom, where Cyrus Field started to become intrigued by structures and investment. Field decided to buy a paper and printing company, eventually becoming one of the leading paper and printing companies in the country. This helped Field to have a $200,000 net worth by the time he was thirty.
