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The Richest Man Who Ever Lived


giofranchi

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I am reading "The Richest Man Who Ever Lived - The Life and Times of Jacob Fugger" by Greg Steinmetz

 

[amazonsearch]The Richest Man Who Ever Lived - The Life and Times of Jacob Fugger[/amazonsearch]

 

I thought I had read the biography of all the most influential entrepreneurs past and present... I was wrong!... I had probably missed THE most influential! ;)

What a great find for anyone interested in history or wealth creation!

 

Cheers,

 

Gio

 

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Not convinced about the title/statement. From memory China and India was roughly 25% each of the world economy at the time, so I struggle to buy the idea that some guy in Germany was the richest. Quick google shows this

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2163610/Fascinating-new-graph-shows-economic-history-world-Jesus.html

 

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/125242005/2012_Yr_India_broke_away_FG_APRIL_23_2012%255B1%255D

 

Not saying the book does not make for an interesting read.

 

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Not convinced about the title/statement. From memory China and India was roughly 25% each of the world economy at the time, so I struggle to buy the idea that some guy in Germany was the richest.

 

Well, at Fugger's death his net worth was estimated to be around 2% the GDP of Europe… Rockefeller’s net worth at his death was less than 2% the GDP of the USA.

Of course then the GDP of Europe in the sixteenth century could have represented a lower percentage of the world’s GDP than the GDP of the USA in the twentieth century… I don’t know…

 

Cheers,

 

Gio

 

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wouldn't the richest man ever lived be genghis khan or some emperor in china at the height of china's power? i am equating the riches with controlling/owning the highest percentage of the world's wealth.

 

I don’t think so… The book opens with a letter in which Fugger asks a debtor of his to be repaid with interests… And that debtor was Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor!! ;)

 

Cheers,

 

Gio

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