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Millionaire : the philanderer, gambler, and…
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Millionaire : the philanderer, gambler, and duelist who invented modern finance (original 1999; edition 1999)

by Janet Gleeson

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4461155,454 (3.43)7
In the wake of Louis XIV's death, France's government teetered on the brink of bankruptcy. Enter the reformer in the unlikely guise of John Law -- a supremely charming and attractive Scot whose brilliant financial mind had thus far served only to make himself rich at the gaming tables. In one of the great image makeovers of all time, John Law recharged a devastated French economy, making him one of the most successful men in Europe. When Law founded a New World trading company, the synergistic combination of faith in his ideas and wild reports of the riches to be made in France's vast holdings in America sent the price of its shares through the roof. Investors drunk on dreams of instant wealth gave birth to the first boom-and-bust cycle -- one that created such vast wealth for shareholders that a new term was coined to describe them...millionaires.… (more)
Member:burgess
Title:Millionaire : the philanderer, gambler, and duelist who invented modern finance
Authors:Janet Gleeson
Info:New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, c1999.
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Millionaire : The Philanderer, Gambler, and Duelist Who Invented Modern Finance by Janet Gleeson (1999)

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» See also 7 mentions

English (10)  Italian (1)  All languages (11)
Showing 1-5 of 10 (next | show all)
Interesting history on paper money in France ( )
  vdt_melbourne | Oct 18, 2023 |
Law, John (Subject)
  LOM-Lausanne | Apr 30, 2020 |
This is simply a great read. John Law, who originally fled England, introduced paper money to France and created their first central bank, which led to the Mississippi bubble. This is a great insight to the human character of prosperity and greed. This is boom, Bust and Blame at its best. If you want to understand how bubbles manifest and grip a nation, read this. A wonderfully told biography. Incredible that it's a true story. ( )
  FirstWord | Dec 8, 2016 |
Janet Gleeson has written a very good popular biography of John Law, whose financial schemes cannot but remind a modern reader of some of the monetary shenanigans we are familiar with from our own time. While I found myself wishing for some better source notes at times, this is an entirely decent book for its intended audience. ( )
1 vote JBD1 | Dec 4, 2014 |
Excellent book ( )
  DramMan | Jan 28, 2014 |
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Goldmann (15112)
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Epigraph
He came to Paris, where he cut such a fine figure that he held the bank at Faro.  He usually played at the house of a famous actress, where they played for high stakes, although he was in as great demand with Princes and Lords of the first order, as in the most celebrated academies, where his noble manners and even temper, distinguished him from other players. -- Barthelemy Marmont du Hautchamp, Histoire du systeme de finances (1739)
Dedication
To my parents,
Jill and Michael
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       1       
A MAN APART
It is an evening in November 1708 in the Parisian salon of Marie-Anne de Chateauneuf--"La Duclos"--a celebrated actress of Paris's Comedie Francaise, and as usual she is entertaining Parisian society.
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Money has ever posed problems.
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Variant Titles: US Edition Millionaire = UK Edition The Moneymaker
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In the wake of Louis XIV's death, France's government teetered on the brink of bankruptcy. Enter the reformer in the unlikely guise of John Law -- a supremely charming and attractive Scot whose brilliant financial mind had thus far served only to make himself rich at the gaming tables. In one of the great image makeovers of all time, John Law recharged a devastated French economy, making him one of the most successful men in Europe. When Law founded a New World trading company, the synergistic combination of faith in his ideas and wild reports of the riches to be made in France's vast holdings in America sent the price of its shares through the roof. Investors drunk on dreams of instant wealth gave birth to the first boom-and-bust cycle -- one that created such vast wealth for shareholders that a new term was coined to describe them...millionaires.

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