How did Alexander von Humboldt pay for the South American expedition?

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Alexander von Humboldt financed his South American expedition entirely out of his own pocket using the estate he inherited upon the death of his mother.1

While this inheritance enabled him to pursue his scientific goals with great single-mindedness, the significant costs associated with the expedition and the subsequent publication of his findings eventually depleted his fortune, leaving him in financial straits for the remainder of his life.21