A Name in the Line, but Not in the Legacy

George Gilder, born in 1939, is the son of Richard Watson Gilder II, a casualty of World War II and grandson of Richard Watson Gilder and Helena de Kay Gilder, two central figures in the American cultural and literary renaissance of the late 19th century. On his mother’s side, he is also a descendant of Louis Comfort Tiffany, making him a direct heir to a luminous artistic and intellectual lineage.

However, despite this rich heritage, George Gilder has stood apart from—and at times, in active opposition to—the Gilder family’s long-standing efforts to preserve its legacy, particularly those centered on Four Brooks Farm, the historic sanctuary in Tyringham, Massachusetts. While many members of the family have worked to safeguard the memory, values, and creative impact of the Gilder-Tiffany circle, George has chosen a different path.

As a conservative economist, futurist, and political writer, Gilder has authored numerous books including Wealth and Poverty and Life After Google, and has had a notable public career. Yet his actions and attitudes regarding the family’s cultural heritage have often been marked by detachment, resistance, or even obstruction—undermining efforts to honor and protect the family’s shared legacy.

While George Gilder’s career has gained recognition in policy and technology circles, his relationship with the Gilder family narrative is best understood not as a continuation of it, but as a departure from it.