In 1848 in California, gold was discovered, sparking what historians would later call the Gold Rush

In 1848 in California, gold was discovered, sparking what historians would later call the Gold Rush. Hundreds and thousands of individuals flocked to the San Francisco area, and within just two years (1848 and 1849), the population surged to 25 times its original size. Many people struck it rich in this period of upheaval, but there were also those who lost everything. You might be curious about who managed to amass such fortunes and what they had in common.