One of the most talked about names after the Titanic disaster: Who is Benjamin Guggenheim?

Right after the Titanic collided with the iceberg, Guggenheim and his personal butler, Victor Giglio, never panicked. The duo left the boat deck as people struggled to get on the lifeboats. Not to worry, they returned to their cabins in a calm and peaceful manner and put on their best clothes. According to the testimonies of shipwreck survivors, they just wanted to "say goodbye like gentlemen". According to the recordings, Benjamin and Giglio were last seen smoking brandy and cigars together as the Titanic sank. After the disaster, they both died, but after the disaster, their extraordinary stories gained worldwide fame. If you wish, let's take a closer look at Guggenheim's story and listen to his gentleman's farewell again.

Benjamin Guggenheim (October 26, 1865 – April 15, 1912) was an American businessman. He died aboard RMS Titanic when the ship sank in the North Atlantic Ocean. His body was never recovered.

Benjamin Guggenheim was born in New York in 1865. His Swiss parents, Meyer and Barbara Guggenheim led a wealthy life. Benjamin's father, Meyer, was a famous and rich man. Meyer was a millionaire who owned the Guggenheim copper mine. The fifth of 7 brothers, Benjamin worked with his brothers in his father's company for a while. Benjamin married a Florette J. Seligman in 1894. The couple had three daughters, Benita Rosalind Guggenheim, Marguerite 'Peggy' Guggenheim (growing up, a famous art collector and socialite), and Barbara Hazel Guggenheim. But despite being married and with children, Benjamin was a socialite and popular for his celibate lifestyle.

Benjamin and Florette's marriage soon ended, and Benjamin's business trips became more frequent. As these travels took him around the world, the couple began to grow further and further apart. This is precisely why he was accompanied on his Titanic voyage not by his future wife, but by his mistress, a French singer named Leontine Aubert.

Along with Benjamin were Benjamin's valet Giglio, Leontine's maid Emma Sagesser, and their chauffeur, Rene Pemot. On April 10, 1912, Benjamin and his crew left the port of Southampton, England. They then boarded the Titanic at Cherbourg on the north coast of France.

On the night of April 14, 1912, the Titanic hit a huge iceberg. Benjamin and Giglio slept in their first-class suites unaware during the first collision but were soon awakened by Leontine and Emma to receive news of the disaster.

Benjamin was dressed in a lifebelt and a sweater by one of the ship's attendants, Henry Samuel Etches. The group was removed from the cabins to the boat deck. There, Leontine and Emma settled into lifeboat 9, as women and children were given priority. As the Guggenheim said goodbye to Emma in German, "See you again soon! This is just a drill. Tomorrow, the Titanic will continue on its way again.” However, it soon became clear that Benjamin was wrong and that the ship was sinking. That story that has been talked about for years started right here.

Instead of waiting or fighting for a seat in a lifeboat, Benjamin and Giglio donned their finest evening dresses and returned to their cabins. According to reports, they went back to the salon wearing formal and elegant clothes.

The expressions of the survivors after the great disaster, which went down in the historical records, were quite striking! Witnesses quoted Benjamin as saying, "We're dressed in our best clothes and are ready to go down like gentlemen." “After helping rescue the women and children, Benjamin returned to his room, dressed elegantly, and put a red rose on his collar before he died,” one survivor, Rose Icard, reported. Etches, the housekeeper who helped Benjamin put on his lifebelt, was one of the survivors.

Etches remembered Benjamin conveying a final message to him, and shared: "If anything happens to me, tell my wife I'm doing my best to do my duty." The last memory of Benjamin and Giglio was that they looked happy as the ship sank rapidly, enjoying brandy and cigars on their chaise lounges.

Benjamin and Giglio gained worldwide fame after the disaster. So much so that the newspapers were filled with their extraordinary stories. Today, Benjamin and Giglio are among the most talked about names regarding the Titanic disaster. On the other hand, the duo was also portrayed in the 1958 film A Night to Remember, the 1996 miniseries Titanic, and James Cameron's 1997 film Titanic. Despite both men's posthumous reputations, the only available photograph of Benjamin is available. On the other hand, it is known that there was no photo of Giglio until 2012.