Question 1

True or false: J.P. Morgan invented the modern stock ticker machine to speed up trading.

Accepted Answer

False. The stock ticker was invented by Edward Calahan in 1867; Morgan was a user and investor, not the inventor.

Question 2

True or false: J.P. Morgan's personal art collection included drawings by Rembrandt and Raphael, which later became part of the Morgan Library & Museum.

Accepted Answer

True. Morgan avidly collected Old Master drawings; his holdings of Rembrandt and Raphael sketches formed the foundation of the Morgan Library & Museum's collection.

Question 3

True or false: J.P. Morgan was the primary financier behind the creation of the Eiffel Tower.

Accepted Answer

False. The Eiffel Tower was funded by Gustave Eiffel and the French government; Morgan had no involvement in its construction.

Question 4

True or false: J.P. Morgan was a strong supporter of women’s suffrage and donated heavily to the movement.

Accepted Answer

False. Morgan was politically conservative and did not support women’s suffrage; he focused his philanthropy on arts and education, not social reform.

Question 5

True or false: J.P. Morgan famously refused to invest in Thomas Edison’s electric light bulb, calling it a passing fad.

Accepted Answer

False. Morgan actually invested in Edison’s company and had his home wired for electric lighting, becoming an early adopter and financier of electricity.

Question 6

True or false: J.P. Morgan organized a consortium of bankers to help stabilize the financial system during the Panic of 1907.

Accepted Answer

True. During the Panic of 1907, Morgan brought together bankers to provide liquidity, avoiding a broader financial collapse.

Question 7

True or false: J.P. Morgan owned a massive luxury yacht named Corsair.

Accepted Answer

True. J.P. Morgan owned several yachts named Corsair; the last, Corsair III, launched in 1899, was 304 feet long and was one of the largest private yachts at the time.

Question 8

True or false: J.P. Morgan’s father, Junius Spencer Morgan, was a successful banker who helped finance the American Civil War for the Union.

Accepted Answer

True. Junius Spencer Morgan was a partner in the London bank George Peabody & Co., which helped sell U.S. bonds to British investors during the war.

J.P. Morgan Trivia Questions