Mayer Amschel Rothschild
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Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812) was a German banker who founded the renowned Rothschild banking dynasty. He studied briefly for the rabbinate but entered an apprenticeship in banking after his parents' early death. Rothschild established a pattern of doing business with ruling houses and fathering many sons to manage international affairs.12
His five sons expanded the family's banking house from Frankfurt to London, Paris, Vienna, and Naples, profiting significantly from the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The Rothschild businesses later diversified into mining, energy, real estate, and winemaking, and the family became known for charitable activities in the arts and education.13
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