Today, Biltmore is still family owned and operated under George Vanderbilt's mission of preservation through self-sufficiency ? a philosophy embraced before the first stone was ever placed.

Yes, the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, remains privately owned and operated by the descendants of George Washington Vanderbilt II. Unlike many Gilded Age mansions that were turned over to the government or non-profits, Biltmore is still a family business managed by The Biltmore Company. Currently, the estate is overseen by the Cecil family, who are direct descendants (George Vanderbilt's grandson, William A.V. Cecil, was instrumental in turning the estate into a profitable tourist destination). The company operates the 175,000-square-foot house, the massive gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, a luxury hotel, and a successful winery. While they sold off much of the original 125,000 acres to the federal government to create the Pisgah National Forest, the family still retains approximately 8,000 acres, ensuring that the "largest privately owned home in the United States" stays within the Vanderbilt lineage for future generations.

Yes, the Biltmore Estate is still owned by the Vanderbilt family, though it is managed by their descendants rather than being under direct family control as it once was.

Ownership Details:

• The estate was built by George Washington Vanderbilt II and completed in 1895.
• After his death in 1914, his only child, Cornelia Vanderbilt Cecil, inherited the property.
• In the 1930s, due to financial pressures, the estate was opened to the public to generate revenue.
• Today, Biltmore is privately held by The Biltmore Company, which is controlled by Vanderbilt’s descendants.
• The current chairman is Bill Cecil Jr. (great-grandson of George Vanderbilt), and his father, William A.V. Cecil, played a key role in preserving and expanding the estate as a tourist attraction.

Current Status:

• Biltmore remains the largest privately owned home in the U.S. (at 175,000 square feet).
• It operates as a for-profit business, with revenue from tours, hotels, wineries, and events supporting its upkeep.
• While the Vanderbilts no longer live in the house full-time, they remain deeply involved in its management and preservation.

So, while the Vanderbilts don’t “own” it in the traditional sense of personal residence, they still control it through a corporate structure.