To what Extent Were the Following 19th Century Industrial Leaders Either "Robber Barons" or "Industrial Statesmen"?

Many have debated that the industrial leaders following the 19th Century were "Robber Barron's". However, in this very competitive time period, many new businesses were being formed. It took talented businessmen such as Vanderbilt, Carnegie, and Rockefeller to get ahead and keep the companies running, building America into what it is today, the most powerful nation in the world.
Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877) was a classic Market Entrepreneur, succeeding by creating and marketing a superior product at a low cost. He was a key figure in breaking the steamboat monopoly in the waters around New York City; in the transatlantic steamship business; in the east coast to west coast steamship business; and the builder of the New York Central system, which, in effect, replaced the Erie Canal. …