The Transatlantic Telegraph Cable was run and mostly funded by Cyrus West Field. Field was born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts on November 30th, 1819. He was a bright student through his years as a child but dropped out of school at 15.
In 1841, after his previous company failed, Cyrus and his brother-in-law made their own new mercantile paper firm named Cyrus W. Field and Company. In 11 years of running this company he was able to liquidate his debts and had accumulated a fortune of over $250,000. He then gave up his career in the business to pursue what he truly wanted to do, connect Europe to America, which was achievable through a cable. He had gotten charters from both the American and European governments to do this. He was one of the main founders of the New York, Newfoundland and London Telegraph Company.
Just 2 years later, he revised it into British company Atlantic Telegraph Company. After the success of the cable, he invested in many other companies to continue to fund this project. He unfortunately then went bankrupt due to bad investments, then died a few years later of Cardiovascular disease on July 12, 1892, in New York City.