Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: The Life and Times of Jacob Fugger
    The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: The Life and Times of Jacob Fugger
    The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: The Life and Times of Jacob Fugger
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: The Life and Times of Jacob Fugger

    Written by Greg Steinmetz

    Narrated by Norman Dietz

    4.5/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

    Jacob Fugger lived in Germany at the turn of the sixteenth century, the grandson of a peasant. By the time he died, his fortune amounted to nearly two percent of European GDP. Not even John D. Rockefeller had that kind of wealth.

    Most people become rich by spotting opportunities, pioneering new technologies, or besting opponents in negotiations. Fugger did all that, but he had an extra quality that allowed him to rise even higher: nerve. In an era when kings had unlimited power, Fugger had the nerve to stare down heads of state and ask them to pay back their loans-with interest. It was this coolness and self-assurance, along with his inexhaustible ambition, that made him not only the richest man ever but a force of history as well. Fugger helped trigger the Reformation and likely funded Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe.

    The ultimate untold story, The Richest Man Who Ever Lived is more than a tale about the richest and most influential businessman of all time. It is a story about palace intrigue, knights in battle, family tragedy and triumph, and a violent clash between the 1 percent and everybody else.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateNov 17, 2015
    ISBN9781494589370
    Author

    Greg Steinmetz

    Greg Steinmetz is a partner at a money management firm in New York. He previously worked for The Wall Street Journal, where he covered investment banking before becoming Berlin Bureau Chief and then London Bureau Chief. His first book, The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: The Life and Times of Jacob Fugger, was heralded by Andrew Ross Sorkin as one of the best reads of 2015.

    Related to The Richest Man Who Ever Lived

    Related audiobooks

    Biography & Memoir For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      An Enlightenment King Vindicated

      Nov 25, 2021

      THIS OUTSTANDING NEW BIOGRAPHY of George III is timely. The first of the Hanoverians to identify as British was mocked, slandered and vilified during his lifetime and is still regularly cited in the American media as the epitome of tyranny. Over the

      5 min read

    • Article

      Prince Philip Had A Walk-on Part In The Royal Drama, But He Played It To Perfection | Simon Jenkins

      Apr 9, 2021

      It is not disparaging of Prince Philip, who has died aged 99, to say he was always a walk-on part in the pantomime of monarchy. It was a part in which he was a star. Plucked from the ranks of lesser European royalty as the “suitable” husband for a qu

      4 min read

    • Article

      What's In A Name?

      Sep 7, 2023

      What's In A Name?
      6 min read

    • Article

      Who Was The Count St Germain?

      Apr 21, 2022

      Who Was The Count St Germain?
      1 min read

    • Article

      Charles V

      Feb 28, 2020

      Charles V
      8 min read

    • Article

      Q&A

      Feb 17, 2022

      Q&A
      3 min read

    • Article

      A Sunny Depiction Of Dark Times

      Sep 28, 2023

      A Sunny Depiction Of Dark Times
      6 min read

    • Article

      Changing Identities

      Jul 6, 2023

      Changing Identities
      6 min read

    • Article

      They Made History

      Jul 13, 2022

      They Made History
      8 min read

    • Article

      Letters

      Dec 21, 2023

      The painting selected to illustrate William Shakespeare in the December issue (En- counters) is captioned: “A c1610 painting of William Shakespeare, kept in the Cobbe Collection, is thought to be the only portrait of the English playwright to have be

      4 min read

    • Article

      Betrayal Of The Knights Templar

      Jan 31, 2024

      Betrayal Of The Knights Templar
      11 min read

    • Article

      The Peanut King

      Apr 19, 2022

      The Peanut King
      5 min read

    • Article

      Reviews

      Oct 7, 2021

      Reviews
      6 min read

    • Article

      Aaron Burr in Exile

      Jun 3, 2019

      IN JUNE 1808, AS HE LEFT North America for the one and only time in his life, Aaron Burr recorded the briefest of notes for his adored daughter, Theodosia. “Fair winds,” the founding father and former vice president wrote before clambering aboard a p

      16 min read

    • Article

      The Alchemist Of Austria

      Feb 28, 2020

      The Alchemist Of Austria
      10 min read

    • Article

      Anniversaries

      Jul 9, 2020

      Anniversaries
      4 min read

    • Article

      Books & co

      Nov 10, 2023

      by Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe This historical biography chronicles the story of America’s Astor family across several centuries, showing how they rose from beginnings in the fur business, purchasing property and dazzling American society, bef

      5 min read

    • Article

      NZ’s White Slavery Scandal

      Aug 8, 2021

      As if we need any proof that the human appetite for gossip runs eternal, a New Zealand journalist based in London just over 100 years ago got a tip that he should attend a court hearing that day if he wanted a juicy scoop for readers back home. Guy S

      2 min read

    • Article

      History

      Jun 29, 2022

      History
      11 min read

    • Article

      The Misunderstood Queen

      Aug 3, 2022

      The Misunderstood Queen
      5 min read

    • Article

      Otto I

      Feb 28, 2020

      Otto I
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Voice Of A Female Golden Age

      Jan 19, 2023

      The Voice Of A Female Golden Age
      10 min read

    • Article

      A Spark Of Genius

      Jun 22, 2022

      A Spark Of Genius
      4 min read

    • Article

      Also On The Bookshelf

      Mar 19, 2020

      As the daughter of Henry I, Matilda had a strong claim to the English throne. But the nation was thrown into chaos when she became embroiled in a long and bitter fight for the crown with her cousin, Stephen. This fast-moving biography of one of the m

      2 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Richest Man Who Ever Lived

    4.5/5

    11 ratings3 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Top 1% although it may start off a bit slow. Even better on a rerun.
    • 5/5
      Fascinating book. I was astonished to learn that so many important historical facts I already knew had the hand of Fugger. And after this book I understand much better our actual banking system and its web of influence in government. No single bird make spring ... but if the bird is called Fugger... many flowers will bloom and others will wither.
    • 5/5
      A must read to know the real history of 15th century Europe, and learn the power of monopoly