Daniel Drew was a prominent American financier and speculator who became one of the most powerful figures on Wall Street during the Gilded Age. Starting his career as a cattle drover, he later ventured into the steamship and railroad industries, accumulating a vast fortune. He was notorious for his ruthless stock market tactics, including the practice of 'watering stock,' and was a key player in the Erie Railroad wars. Despite his immense wealth, Drew's fortunes declined sharply later in life, and he ultimately declared bankruptcy before his death.