His maternal great-great grandfather was railroad and steamship baron, "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt.
Cecil and his older brother were educated in England and Switzerland while his father managed the estate.
[2] Later, he worked in finance in New York City, where he met his future wife, Mary Lee Ryan.
He successfully transformed Biltmore into a popular North Carolina tourist attraction and built a profitable winery on the grounds.
She was a maternal first cousin of First Lady of the United States Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, both being granddaughters of James T.