Nominative determinism, literally 'name-driven outcome', is the hypothesis that people tend to gravitate towards areas of work which reflect their names. That was certainly the case for George Train, who could be described as the Elon Musk of the Gilded Age, who amassed a purported $30 million fortune (in mid-19th century dollars!) in shipping and rail.
In a quirky case of nominative determinism, George Train dedicated his life to transportation. From “clipper ships to the Union Pacific Railroad”, the American millionaire was “obsessed” with the subject, said The Colombian - and this obsession included inaugurating the first passenger tramway in Britain on 30 August 1860 in Birkenhead.
A decade later, Train travelled around the world in 80 days, “not counting a two-month stopover in France” to hobnob with the revolutionaries of the Paris Commune. The “eccentric and vastly wealthy entrepreneur” inspired Jules Verne’s 1873 novel, Around the World in 80 Days, which spurred on a series of other adventurers to attempt the feat.
Some succeeded, including journalist Nellie Bly, who circumnavigated the world in “a mere 72 days”. But in 1890, Train regained his title as the record-holder, completing the journey in just 67 days and 13 hours. And in 1892, he whittled that down to a satisfying 60.