Thomas Lipton
Toronto Daily Star, December 28 1926
Five million dollars in 1926 is roughly equivalent to $89 million today, but Thomas Lipton (1848-1931) could afford it: he had made a fortune selling Lipton's tea. His fifth and final attempt to capture the America's Cup trophy took place in 1930 and also resulted in failure. As a consolation, he received a specially designed cup for "the best of all losers", which he might or might not have appreciated.
When not building a grocery empire or sailing, Lipton was a philanthropist. Among other things, he donated twenty thousand pounds in 1897 to provide dinners for poor people in London and he helped organizations of medical volunteers during the First World War. A lifelong bachelor, Lipton left most of his fortune to his native city of Glasgow when he passed away.
Created September 15, 2025.