George William Childs rose from poverty and obscurity to a position of tremendous wealth and influence as owner of the Philadelphia Public Ledger. During his ownership, the Public Ledger was the "prestige" newspaper in Philadelphia, operating on a news and advertising policy that shunned scandal and sensation. As an employer, Childs implemented many progressive labor practices, including pensions and insurance. He also gained a national and international reputation as a collector and philanthropist.

Almost nothing is known about Childs's early years. Most biographers say he was born 12 May 1829 in Baltimore, Maryland. In his autobiography, Recollections (1890), Childs made no reference to his parents or the circumstances of his birth. He may have been an orphan or illegitimate; the latter theory was outlined in an anonymous, unflattering 1873 pamphlet on Childs attributed to his father-in-law and former business partner, Robert Evans Peterson.

Childs said he always had "a rather remarkable aptitude...