Forbes family

The Forbes family is one of the components of the Boston Brahmins—a wealthy extended American family long prominent in Boston, Massachusetts. The family built their initial multi-generational fortune primarily through the transatlantic slave trade, West Indian commerce, and smuggling opium into China. The family's wealth-building strategy relied heavily on these interconnected maritime global networks. The name descends from Scottish immigrants and can be traced back to Sir John de Forbes in Scotland in the 12th century. Family members include businessman John Murray Forbes (1813–1898), part of the first generation who accumulated wealth, and politician John Forbes Kerry (born 1943).