Today the family's wealth is held across many more trusts, according to Forbes, which estimated the family's wealth at $1 billion in 2014. The trusts provide taxable income to some 30 members of the family, Forbes reported, and are managed by Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises, which the family runs.

However, a bit of digging into recent American history makes things quite a bit clearer, especially when the focus is on the Kennedy family patriarch who started it all. Here's how the Kennedy family really got so rich. Ultimately, the source of all of the Kennedy family's riches comes down to one man — Joseph Kennedy, Sr.

But beyond their well-documented history in public service, the Kennedys have astutely navigated through the corridors of financial management and investment, ensuring the sustainability and growth of their wealth over generations. The roots of the Kennedy fortune can be traced back to Joseph P. Kennedy, the family patriarch.

The Kennedys were never close to being the richest family in the world. Names like Walton, Koch, and Mars have more generational wealth than the Kennedys, but that doesn’t mean that the Kennedys are by any means suffering. Joseph’s foresight and expertise in financial matters protected his family’s wealth for generations.