The family's fortune was primarily earned through a railroad empire built by Jason "Jay" Gould, a notorious "robber baron" during the Gilded Age.

At its height, this network comprised the Denver & Rio Grande, Missouri Pacific, Wheeling & Lake Erie, Wabash, Texas Pacific, Western Maryland and International-Great Northern railroads among others.

[3] Despite losing the source of much of their wealth, subsequent generations of the family continued to be involved in business, politics and philanthropy.

The following is a list of businesses in which the Gould family have held a controlling or otherwise significant interest.

The following is a list of philanthropies and nonprofit institutions which were made by or otherwise have been closely tied to the Gould family.