Mayer Amschel Rothschild - Lord of Money. Mayer Amschel Rothschild - founder of the Rothschild dynasty Scandal in the Rothschild family: two branches of the dynasty argue over the right to the name

The founder of the Rothschild clan, Mayer Amschel Bauer, was born 270 years ago - in 1744. His family lived in Judengasse, the Jewish ghetto of Frankfurt am Main. And his father's name was Amschel Moses Bauer. He ran a small money changer's office with a large red sign above it. In German, “red sign” is Rot Schild. This is how the name appeared, which has now become a common noun, meaning luxury and wealth. And this transformation took place as follows.

Mayer Amschel was not even eleven when his father died in 1754, followed by his mother. Having become an orphan, he was placed in free school, but he did not like studying, and the young man devoted himself entirely to one thing - numismatics. Every day he searched in landfills for an out-of-circulation coin, a worn medal, or some old badge. Having cleaned the finds and given them a marketable appearance, he successfully sold them to collectors.

In 1757, 13-year-old Mayer Amschel was sent to Hanover to study at the bank of Shimon Wolf Oppenheimer. There he learned the basics of finance, became acquainted with the coins of other countries, learned to easily identify counterfeits and quickly calculate favorable exchange rates.

In 1760, Mayer Amschel returned to Frankfurt, changed his surname from Bauer to Rothschild and continued his father’s business: he began exchanging and selling coins and medals. Very soon he became very famous among antique lovers. Having saved money, he opened his own antique shop, in which it was possible to exchange money from one German principality to another. So, gradually, the first semblance of the Rothschild Bank arose.

The path from numismatics to finance is quite natural, and Mayer Amschel became a financier, as he was a numismatist, purely out of his own interest. It’s just that now much more different types of money passed through it than before. He was not yet rich, but he was distinguished by self-confidence and sociability. And people reached out to him, including very rich people.

* * *

And then one day, through the mediation of one of his clients, a collector antique coins, he met the Landgrave (the title of the sovereign prince in the Holy Roman Empire, the core of which was Germany) Wilhelm IX of Hesse-Kassel. This man was twelve years older and belonged to the highest circles of European society (his mother was the daughter of the British King George II). And surprisingly, they struck up something like a friendship. Moreover, from 1764 it was Mayer Amschel who began to supply coins and gold to the princely house of Hesse-Kassel. And just five years later, in 1769, Wilhelm IX appointed Mayer Amschel as his personal banker and court supplier - goffer.

The duties of the gofaktor were to increase the prince’s treasury, cover his expenses for the army, luxury goods, and supply the courtyard, kitchen and stables. If successful, the gofaktor received a reward in the form of part of the prince’s income and respect at court; in case of failure, ruin, trial, and even execution could follow.

But Mayer Amschel coped with his duties perfectly, and at the age of 26 (August 29, 1770) he married 17-year-old Guttle Schnapper, the daughter of the moneylender Wolf Solomon Schnapper. At the same time, he founded his first bank in Frankfurt. And, I must say, his business went very successfully. The fact is that the first Rothschild was distinguished by exceptional business acumen. Transporting currency in those days was very expensive, and there was always a risk of running into robbers. And Mayer Amschel found a very simple solution to this problem: he bought wool and cotton in England at low prices, and then sold them in Europe for much more.

And of course, his acquaintance with William IX, one of the richest German princes, who actively traded in hired soldiers, was beneficial to him. For example, in 1785, it was he who profitably sold 17,000 soldiers to the English King George III for the war with the American colonists. And this deal could not have happened without Mayer Amschel Rothschild.

And then Napoleon Bonaparte came to power, and France began wars of conquest in Europe. In 1806, when the French invaded Hesse, Landgrave Wilhelm IX (in 1803 he became Elector under the name Wilhelm I) was forced to flee the country, and before that he made 62-year-old Mayer Amschel his confidant, leaving almost all of his state. And the banker continued collecting money from the princely debtors and was even able to significantly increase the amount left to him for management. At the same time, he did not forget about his personal interest. In any case, Wilhelm preferred thalers, and the British paid Rothschild in pounds, so Mayer Amschel could become rich just from the difference in exchange rates.

And he became one. And he proudly reported to his patron that he had managed to double his fortune, which further strengthened the trust and respect of the princely family for him.

* * *

Meanwhile, Napoleon had already subjugated almost all of Europe.

Of course, the Napoleonic wars were beneficial to Rothschild, and he stimulated them in every possible way, profiting from endless military orders. But Napoleon turned out to be not so simple, and he refused to let Mayer Amschel annex his financial empire to his. Moreover, in February 1800 he created the Bank of France, independent of Rothschild. And in April 1803 he spent monetary reform, introducing silver and gold francs, and the Bank of France received the exclusive right to issue money.

Mayer Amschel Rothschild was outraged, and Napoleon said that if the government is financially dependent on bankers, then the country is governed not by the government, but by bankers. He said: “The hand that gives is always higher than the hand that takes. Financiers have no patriotism and honesty, their only goal is profit.”

But he needed money, and therefore in the same 1803 Napoleon gave French lands in North America to the United States. The size of the territory sold was then approximately 2.1 million square meters. km, and the transaction price was $15 million (or 80 million French francs). And when carrying out this transaction, Napoleon did not use the Rothschild bank, but its direct competitors - the Baring banking house in London and the Hope Bank in Amsterdam.

With the money from this deal, Napoleon quickly equipped an army and continued to spread his influence throughout Europe, capturing everything in his path. And his military vehicle crashed only in 1812 in Russia.

* * *

And Mayer Amschel Rothschild was no longer a young man, and his health had deteriorated greatly. And so he gathered all his children and urged them to never change their faith, to always stay together and help each other.

He died on September 19, 1812, at the age of 68, leaving behind him an enormous fortune and five sons.

The eldest was Amschel Rothschild, who was born in Frankfurt am Main on June 12, 1773. Then came Solomon Rothschild, born September 9, 1774, Nathan Rothschild, born September 16, 1777, and Karl (Kalman) Rothschild, born April 24, 1788. The youngest was James (Jacob) Rothschild, born on May 15, 1792.

* * *

The resulting Rothschild clan could not forgive Napoleon for his “arbitrariness.” And they declared “war” on the Corsican, that is, they began to provide loans to almost any country that was in the camp of Napoleon’s opponents. After all, didn’t Napoleon himself say that the only goal for financiers is profit.

In essence, the Rothschild clan decided to “overthrow” Napoleon, and to do this, he began to actively finance the British and Russians, that is, his main opponents.

As you know, Napoleon really didn’t want to fight with Russia, but he was forced to do it, and it could not have happened without the “hand” of the Rothschilds. In any case, when in 1812 the main backbone of Napoleon’s army was in Russia, Nathan Rothschild came up with a brilliant plan to finance the “second front”, that is, the activities of the Duke of Wellington’s army on the Iberian Peninsula. To do this, Nathan Rothschild bought 800 thousand pounds (then pounds!) of gold from the East India Company, and then sold this gold, so necessary for Wellington to conduct military operations, to the English government. Naturally, he did this with huge profits. However, the British did not know how to transfer this gold to Wellington through French territory. And then the Rothschilds themselves took on this risky business.

The essence of the operation they carried out is as follows: first, James Rothschild unexpectedly appeared in Paris, and then his brothers wrote him letters containing feigned complaints that they were going to take gold from England to Spain, but the English government allegedly flatly refused them this. At the same time, the Rothschilds made sure that their messages to their brother would definitely fall into the hands of the French secret police. And the French Ministry of Finance took the bait. If the British enemies are against gold leaving England, the French ministry decided that these same Rothschilds must be helped so that they can still take out this gold of theirs...

Thus, the trick with the letters was a success, and Napoleon's government helped the Rothschilds to ensure that the gold eventually ended up in Spain, where it entered Wellington's army, which successfully fought against the French.

Later, at a business dinner in London, Nathan Rothschild boasted that this was the best deal of his life. However, then, in 1812, he did not yet know that his and his brothers’ truly best financial operation was still ahead.

By the way, it is worth noting that the Rothschilds also profited handsomely from the Continental Blockade of England, imposed by Napoleon by decree of October 27, 1806. At that time, Europe could only obtain British colonial goods (spices, cotton, tobacco, coffee, etc.) by smuggling. So Nathan Rothschild created a reliable network of smugglers who passed through any Napoleonic cordons. And, of course, the prices for these goods were fantastic.

As for Napoleon, he had previously had to fight exclusively with the armies of enemy states. Here he was an unsurpassed genius and won one victory after another. But now the emperor had to confront a new enemy, whose name is world capital. The living embodiment of this new enemy were the Rothschild brothers, which is why Napoleon considered them the main enemies of his great mission, officially promising 500 thousand francs in gold for their physical elimination. But the talented commander turned out to be helpless in the face of this new enemy, because the laws of such a “war” were unknown to him. The Rothschilds, having concentrated huge financial resources in their hands, managed to buy both the trust of politicians and the authority of government customers. As a result, in nine out of ten cases of placing state orders for the supply of weapons, gold and grain to the front, officials from state commissions for supplying the front turned specifically to the Rothschilds. Moreover, a whole line of twelve states lined up for interest-bearing loans to the Rothschilds, and by the end of the war with Napoleon, the “victor countries” owed more than 70 million to the philanthropists Rothschilds, who had a developed network of agents, suppliers and couriers for transporting gold throughout Europe. pounds.

* * *

And what was the best financial operation of the Rothschilds that was ahead?

This happened after Napoleon’s defeat in Russia. As you know, in March 1814 Paris fell and Napoleon was forced to abdicate the throne. Then he was sent into exile on the island of Elba, and then he unexpectedly returned from there and again seized power in France. The period known in history as the “Hundred Days” began and ended with the famous Battle of Waterloo. At this time, the Rothschilds, who had a well-developed warning system, managed to receive news of Napoleon's defeat a whole day earlier than the official message from the Duke of Wellington. As a result, Nathan Rothschild, on June 20, 1815, personally appeared at the London Stock Exchange and, with a sad look, began selling English government bonds. Without saying a word. He simply stood in his usual place on the stock exchange and sold, sold, sold...

It became clear to everyone that England had lost the war. Otherwise, the experienced Rothschild would have behaved completely differently...

And everyone also rushed to sell their bonds. The market collapsed rapidly. Meanwhile, Rothschild's agents, waiting for the moment when government securities fell to their lowest level, quickly bought them up, but almost at the price of wrapping paper. And then the official message came about Napoleon's defeat. And the price of bonds skyrocketed...

So Napoleon got his Waterloo, and Nathan Rothschild achieved control over the entire British economy. It is estimated that he made over £200 million in net profits in one day. And James Rothschild did roughly the same thing in Paris.

Mayer Amschel Rothschild once said correctly: “He who owns information owns the world!”

Some historians claim that the Rothschilds bribed all the guides of the French army, that all of Napoleon's plans were known to them in great detail, that Nathan Rothschild created his own pigeon post and even personally came to the Waterloo region.

There is no reliable evidence of this, but the fact remains: world history has never known such transactions, and a century later the name of Nathan Rothschild was inscribed in the Guinness Book of Records as the name of the most brilliant financier of all times and people and a representative of a family that by the middle of the 19th century became the richest in the world. It is not for nothing that the rest of the 19th century is called the “century of the Rothschilds.”

* * *

Naturally, the Rothschilds were closely associated with the Freemasons. Moreover, it can be argued that the Masonic lodges, receiving the funding they needed, unquestioningly carried out the orders of the Rothschilds, carrying out their far-reaching plans.

It is believed that Robespierre himself was a blind instrument in the hands of Mayer Amschel Rothschild. No wonder he said: “It seems to me that we are constantly being pushed, against our will, by a “hidden hand.” Every day our Committee of Public Safety does what yesterday it decided not to do.”

And Robespierre was deprived of his life, among other things, because he dared to express his indignation at the fact that the foreigners, represented by Adam Weishaupt and other agents of Rothschild, turned into real rulers.

Napoleon also did not want to serve secret lodges and foreign billionaires. I paid for this. Then, already in exile on the island of St. Helena, he admitted: “I did not want to start a campaign against Russia.”

And here is what General Gourgaud, who accompanied Napoleon into exile, wrote in his “Memoirs”: “What actually served as the motive for the military campaign against Russia? I don't know; it is possible that the emperor himself knew no more about this than I did.”

Adam Weishaupt - this man created the German Secret Society of the Illuminati in 1776. And this was done with the financing of Mayer Amschel Rothschild. The goal of the Illuminati was the improvement and ennoblement of humanity, the destruction of national governments and religious institutions. It was from them that an extensive network of Masonic lodges of the “Great East” system later emerged. The sons of Mayer Amschel Rothschild also became Freemasons. For example, James Rothschild was a Scottish Rite Freemason of the 33rd degree in Paris, and Nathan Rothschild was a high-ranking member of the United Grand Lodge of England in London.

* * *

After the fall of Napoleon, the Rothschild clan continued to prosper, and the descendants of Mayer Amschel Rothschild began to dictate their iron will to European bankers, bishops, revolutionaries, dictators and royal dynasties. All five of his sons became barons, and historians have described the War of 1812 as part of their strategy of “managed conflict.”

James Rothschild, who became commander of the Legion of Honor in France, once said: “Real weapons are not kept in the arsenals of brainless war ministers, real weapons are kept in my bank.”

Napoleon did not want to put up with this, and he died. He died on May 5, 1821 in exile, on a remote island lost in the Atlantic Ocean. And his fall, which began in 1812 in Russia, without a doubt, became a real triumph for the Rothschild clan.

The clan's emblem depicts five arrows connected in a chain, symbolizing the union of the five sons of the founder of the dynasty. Their motto became the words: Concordia, Integritas, Industria (Concord, Unity, Diligence), and their powerful house became a special independent state among other European states.

* * *

Amschel Rothschild died on December 6, 1855 in Frankfurt. He died childless, and the management of his banking house passed to his nephews.

Solomon Rothschild died on July 28 of the same year in Paris. From his marriage to Caroline Stern he had two children: Amschel Solomon and Betty. And what is typical, both entered into marriage alliances with close relatives: respectively, with Charlotte Rothschild (daughter of Uncle Nathan Rothschild) and Uncle James Rothschild (founder of the French branch of the dynasty). And their children also got married only within the Rothschild family. Such endogamy became one of the basic rules of the Rothschild code, ensuring that accumulated property remained within the family and served the common cause.

By the way, about this code, bequeathed by Rothschild Sr. to his children. It also said that all important positions in business should be held only by family members, and not by employees; that only male descendants can participate in the affairs of the clan, and only direct male heirs can inherit. According to this code, the men of the family were supposed to marry their first or second cousins, but the daughters were supposed to try to marry aristocrats while maintaining their faith.

Returning to Solomon Rothschild, we can say that he and his descendants represented the interests of the clan in Austria, where a bank was founded that financed the first Austrian railway and various capital-intensive government enterprises. For his success in this matter, in 1843 Solomon Rothschild became the first Jew to become an honorary citizen of Austria.

* * *

The founder of the English branch of the Rothschilds, Nathan Rothschild, first traded in British textiles, and then moved from Manchester to London and founded a bank there. Moreover, even complete ignorance in English didn't stop him. He started his business with 20,000 pounds and very soon tripled the capital. And during all 17 years of his stay in London, he managed to increase the starting capital left to him by his father by 2500 (!) times.

He died on July 28, 1836. From his marriage to Anna Cohen he had six children: Charlotte, Lionel, Anthony, Nathaniel, Anna and Louise.

In 1847, Nathan Rothschild's son Lionel, married to the daughter of his uncle Charles Rothschild, was elected to the House of Commons, and in 1885 his grandson Nathaniel became a member of the House of Lords.

Nathaniel Charles Rothschild
Karl (Kalman) Rothschild died on March 10, 1855 in Naples. He was married to Adelheid Hertz, and from this marriage he had five children: Charlotte, Mayer Karl, Adolf Karl, Wilhelm Karl and Amschel Alexander Karl.

Karl Rothschild had a reputation as the least talented of the five brothers. However, he also showed himself in Naples to be a strong financier and very capable in developing extremely important business connections. He set tight business relationship with the Minister of Finance of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, after which his bank became dominant in Naples.

* * *

James (Jacob) Rothschild lived the longest. He died on November 15, 1868 in Paris. And it was he who turned out to be the most successful in business, and after the death of his brother Nathan in 1836, leadership of the Rothschild business passed to him. And it was he who introduced his brothers and nephews into the “era of the industrial revolution.” In the 30s and 40s of the 19th century, James financed very large investment projects, and everyone called him the Great Baron.

Within a quarter of a century, James became the second richest man in France, only the king's fortune was slightly greater.

On July 11, 1824, James Rothschild married his niece Betty Rothschild and they had five children: Charlotte, Mayer Alphonse, Gustavus Samuel, Salomon James and Edmund Benjamin.

* * *

It is estimated that the clan's total wealth in the 1970s was almost

$1 billion was a fabulous figure for those times. Not a single major project then could be completed without the Rothschilds: their money was used to explore diamond mines in South Africa, buy land for the construction of the Suez Canal, purchase oil extracted in Russia, finance construction railways and metallurgical enterprises... Their bank became the largest in Europe, and the family became the richest in the world.

The Rothschilds were the first to create what are now called financial-industrial groups. They actively penetrated the industry of the most promising country from an economic point of view at that time - the United States. At the same time, they always hated acting openly, preferring to secretly take control of company after company, and those for the general public continued to be associated with completely different people. For example, at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, the Rothschilds established real control over the financial empire of the Morgans and the steel conglomerate of the Carnegie clan.

Members of the Rothschild clan still play an important role in global business. Despite two world wars, the confiscation of many properties and high inheritance taxes, the Rothschild empire did not perish and is still considered one of the largest in the financial world. It is almost impossible to give an exact figure due to the large number of assets. But some experts believe the Rothschild family's total wealth is now at least $350 billion. Others believe that the Rothschilds have about $1 trillion in real estate and the banking sector alone.

* * *

When answering this question, many people say the names Carlos Slim Helu, Bill Gates or Amancio Ortega. Lists of the very best are regularly published in Forbes and Bloomberg rankings, and there the figures for the top three members range from $63.8 to $84.6 billion. But in fact, the richest man in the world is Nathaniel Charles Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild and current head of the Rothschild clan, born on April 29, 1936, although in all sorts of lists he is very far from the first position. But he doesn’t really need to “shine” in the official ratings.

In the hands of Nathaniel Charles Rothschild there are now hundreds of mines and vineyards, large tracts of land, almost all of the world's largest news agencies (Reuters, BBC, etc.), a huge number of small and medium-sized banks, as well as the world's largest bank – N M Rothdchild & Sons. Here we may not be talking about “some” billions, but about trillions of dollars. And these are not virtual wealth or lines in Internet search engines. This is real wealth, with the help of which you can have a significant influence on everything, including world politics.

Especially very big money. It is not for nothing that the code bequeathed by Rothschild Sr. to his children clearly stated: “In any case, the family’s property should not be described, the size of the fortune should not be disclosed. Even in court or in a will.” And it was also said there that modesty leads to wealth. To paraphrase the founder of the Rothschild clan, we can say: give me the right to control money - and I will not care at all who compiles any ratings...

Sergey Nechaev

Mayer Rothschild is a man who, thanks to his ability to make useful connections and think two moves ahead, managed to turn from a poor boy into a founder major dynasty bankers.

early years

The real name of the future founder of a large dynasty of bankers is Bauer. The family lived in a Jewish ghetto in the town of Frankfurt am Main, and its head worked as a money changer in a small office under a red sign. It was this piece of wood that later became distinctive feature all family. In German, "red sign" sounds like "Rot Schild".

At the age of twelve, Mayer was sent to Hanover to study banking from a certain Oppenheimer. Young Bauer approached his studies responsibly: after a little time he easily distinguishes counterfeits from real coins, he knows financial matters by heart, and also what exchange rate is profitable today, and when it is better to wait to exchange money.

This knowledge was very useful to him already at the age of 16. After the death of both parents, in 1760, he returned to Frankfurt to take over his father's business: selling and trading medals and coins. Therefore, it very quickly begins to circulate among antique lovers and collectors.

Antique shops and the first bank

Not missing this opportunity, Mayer opened a shop where he sold antiques and also exchanged money from various German principalities, because then almost everyone had their own currency.

It was during this time that he founded his first bank. Rothschild Bank.

In addition to the fact that Mayer knows how to buy and sell very profitably, he has an equally important quality - establishing connections with the right people. The antique shop more than contributed to this. His old client, a lover of valuable coins, General von Estorff, once introduced Rothschild to the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, Wilhelm IX. When an aristocrat is forced to flee to Prague due to political differences, Rothschild takes charge of his capital. And he not only keeps it intact, but also manages to increase his multimillion-dollar capital.

The future banker’s business sense did not let him down either. When he realized that transporting currency was both dangerous and expensive, he found another way out of the situation: he simply bought cotton and wool in England at lower prices, and then sold them in other European countries at higher prices. This way you could not be afraid of attacks from robbers, and at the same time earn many times more.

Prince and banker

And here William IX appears again. Since 1764, Rothschild has supplied coins and gold to his house. And five years later, the prince invites Mayer to become his personal supplier and banker. The duties of the court supplier - the gof factor - were to fully supply the court with everything necessary, in addition, he had to monitor the treasury and do everything possible to ensure that the money multiplied. If the factor coped with everything successfully, he was respected at court, and if not, then almost his entire family could be judged.

Despite the risks, Rothschild agreed to such a position. And he was right, because Wilhelm IX of Hesse-Kassel was one of the richest German princes at that time: he was engaged in the trade of soldiers, so he never denied himself anything.

But even when his business was not very good, Rothschild still patronized his capital. When Wilhelm fled in 1806 to escape Napoleon, Rothschild still continued to extort money from his debtors and again pulled off his trick: he managed to increase the fugitive’s capital even during the war.

But he also had moments of accidental benefits: once he withdrew William’s money from an English bank and used it to pay for goods. Since he paid in cash, they gave him big discount. Thus, Rothschild did not have to take money to England and then return it to Frankfurt. Instead, Mayer brought his goods, sold them at an excellent price, then returned the money lent by the count and even received a profit. It also played a role that the British had the pound as their currency, and Wilhelm needed to return the thalers - thus Rothschild made money on the difference in exchange rates.

Families and children

In 1771, Mayer married the daughter of a local moneylender, Gutle Schnapper. She was 10 years younger than him. In this marriage they had ten children: five boys and five girls: Jeanette (1771), Amschel (1773), Solomon (1774), Nathan (1777), Isabella (1781), Babette (1784), Karl (Kalman) ( 1788), Julie (1790), Henrietta (1791) and James (1792).

Rothschild called his five sons the five fingers of one hand - they successfully continued the work of his whole life.

On September 27, 1810, he founded Mayer Amschel Rothschild and Sons. Having almost all of Wilhelm's capital in his hands, Rothschild used it to lend money to various states. The entire increase remained with the family of the banker Rothschild, and the returned funds were then regularly given to the count’s heirs.

Death and continuation of the dynasty

Mayer Rothschild died at the age of 68 hometown Frankfurt. By the end of his life, the family's capital was twice as large as the assets of the French bank.

Mayer's four sons left for different countries, where each founded his own bank: in London, Paris, Vienna and Naples. In Frankfurt, the eldest son Amschel remained in charge.

Despite the fact that the five brothers lived at a considerable distance from each other, they always kept in touch. And not just friendly. They suggested when which exchange rate would be more profitable, and sometimes even started false rumors in their country in order to then turn out a profitable business.

• As a child, Mayer dreamed of becoming a rabbi.
• Of the dynasty's 58 marriages, exactly half were between cousins ​​and second cousins ​​- in order to preserve capital within the same family. This is what Mayer Rothschild taught.
• Rothschild bequeathed not to tell anyone and under any circumstances about the amount of money the family owned. Not in court, not in the police. Envy was what he feared most.
• The Rothschild family coat of arms depicts five arrows tied with a ribbon - a symbol of the five sons of the founder of the dynasty. Their motto was “Concordia, Integritas, Industria” (Concord, Unity, Diligence).
• Actor Jack Huston is one of the descendants of the founder of the banking dynasty.

Heine, paraphrasing the well-known formula of Islam, said: “Money is the God of our time, and Rothschild is his prophet.” The banking house of Rothschild in the 19th century was considered one of the most powerful European empires, along with Britain, Russia, France, Prussia and Austria-Hungary. The Rothschilds entered the 21st century with a fortune exceeding $15 billion. Of course, this is much less than the fortunes occupying the first lines of the ranking of the world's billionaires, especially if it is divided among all family members, but the fact of the matter is that the Rothschilds' fortune is this is precisely the state of the family.

The Rothschilds are a clan that has maintained the purity of its blood for centuries. Moreover, in order to prevent the dispersion of capital and information leakage, the Rothschilds practice intra-family marriages. At the same time, they have a fantastically developed devotion to the family, and no case about the division of inheritance between the Rothschilds, or a “brotherly scandal” (like the one for which the famous Indian billionaires the Ambani brothers recently became famous) has ever surfaced. The sons of the founder of the dynasty even divided the profits equally, and each financial transaction required the approval of the entire family - as interested parties.

The Rothschilds were among the first to understand the value of information and trade secrets. Amschel Rothschild (1773-1855) wrote in his will: “I categorically... prohibit any judicial or public inventory of my inheritance, any judicial intervention and any publication of the extent of my fortune.” It was the Rothschilds who authored the famous phrase “Who owns the information, owns the world.”

This thesis was perfectly illustrated by Nathan Rothschild (1777-1855), when he managed to earn a lot of money (40 million pounds sterling) and actually buy up all of England - only by having information about the outcome of the Battle of Waterloo. No, Nathan did not mislead anyone. We can say that he accomplished a feat: he managed to get to London from Brussels faster than an official courier. Nathan Rothschild made an official report to the government, and then went about the affairs of his own bank. That is, he started playing on the stock exchange. When Nathan Rothschild began selling securities, everyone unanimously decided that Napoleon had won the Battle of Waterloo. Immediately the collapse of English, Austrian and Prussian stocks began. Rothschild's agents carefully bought up everything that the exchange offered, and it offered a lot that day. They learned only a day later that the information that the exchange players considered undeniable was not true, but it was already too late. But it was not possible to accuse Nathan Rothschild of foul play: he did not tell anyone who won the historical battle. He simply remained silent, once again confirming the thesis that information is the key to mastering the world.

The five sons of Mayer Rothschild opened five banks in different parts of Europe: Amschel (1773-1855) - in Frankfurt (Germany), Solomon (1774-1855) - in Vienna (Austria), Nathan (1777-1855) - in London (Great Britain), Charles (1788-1855) - in Naples (Italy), James (1792-1868) - in Paris (France). Thus, the Rothschilds practically took control of all European governments.

True, this control did not last long, and this moment Only the French and English banking houses of the Rothschilds remained. Until now, they have worked independently, independently of each other, but not so long ago it was announced that a single holding company would soon be created that would unite the French and English branches of the Rothschilds not only at the management level, but also at the shareholder level. This unification is associated with the death of Baron Guy de Rothschild, who was the head of the French branch of the family.

The Rothschilds are not only banking houses, they are also mining companies in South Africa (gold, diamonds, uranium, etc.), this is De Beers Consolidated Mines, which needs no introduction, this is the oil industry and non-ferrous metallurgy. Everything the Rothschilds touch turns to gold. And yet, representatives of this family, even in the 21st century, follow the precepts of the founder of the dynasty, who insisted on perseverance in increasing wealth, constantly looking for new ways to make money, and zeal in faith (not one of the Rothschilds abandoned the faith of their fathers, even for the sake of financial benefits ), an indispensable mastery of the art of management and modesty.

“Modesty leads to wealth,” said Amschel Rothschild, instilling in his descendants the ideals of Mayer Rothschild, and each of the Rothschilds is moderate, modest and diligently avoids scandals.

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Mayer Rothschild
Mayer Amschel Bayern Rothschild
Occupation:	banker, philanthropist
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Date of death:
A place of death:
Father:	Amschel Moses Bauer
Spouse:	Gutle Schnapper
Children:	Amschel Mayer, Solomon Mayer, Nathan Mayer, Kalman Mayer, James Mayer

Mayer Amschel Bauer (Rothschild)(((lang-de|Mayer Amschel Bayern Rothschild), 1744, Frankfurt am Main - 1812, ibid.) - financier, founder of an international dynasty of financiers and statesmen.

early years

Mayer's grandfather Isaac Elchanan (died 1585) was a small dealer in antique coins and medals. There was a red sign on his house in the Jewish quarter of Frankfurt am Main. This shield gave the surname to the entire family. Father's name was Amschel Moses Rothschild; he traded in ancient coins and was involved in money exchange.

As a child, Mayer was sent to change coins for his father. He developed an interest in money - practical and scientific. Myer's parents wanted Meyer to become a rabbi. He briefly studied traditional Jewish studies at the Fürth school. But he soon decided to become a banker and was sent to study in a small position at the Oppenheimer banking house in Hanover.

In 1760, he started his own business in the house of his father, who soon died. He married on August 29, 1770 Güttel Schnapper. They had five sons.

Financial success

He dealt in antique coins, works of art and souvenirs, and was a business agent and banker. Mayer made acquaintance with the German aristocrat, a passionate collector of ancient coins, General von Estorff. Soon after, in 1775, he met Crown Prince Wilhelm and began doing small business with him. In 1785, the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, one of the richest European monarchs of that time (who made a lot of money by selling soldiers to the English king for the war against the United States), died. The Crown Prince became Landgrave William IX, inheriting all of his father's money.

Mayer Amschel changed a small amount of English money for him in 1789, and in 1794 accepted for profitable investment at least £150,000, but not alone, but in company with at least six other Frankfurt brokers. It was not until late 1798 that he obtained sufficient credit from the Landgrave to handle any amounts of his money alone.

Testaments to sons

Mayer established the order that his family would try to do business successfully, preferably with the royal houses, and that the father should have as many sons as possible who could take care of the family's commercial affairs abroad.

In business, he ordered to always act together and never strive for excess profits.

In the 18th century, Frankfurt am Main was one of the most economically developed German cities. Back in 1372 he received the status Imperial City, which made him directly subordinate to the Holy Roman Emperor. In 1585, merchants began to gather here to exchange currency. This is how the Frankfurt Stock Exchange appeared, and the city itself gradually became one of the most important European financial centers. Numerous bankers and money changers gathered here, and large exchange transactions were carried out.

Amschel Moses Bauer was a money changer mediocre, who kept his office in the Jewish ghetto of Frankfurt under the red sign - Rote Schild. Mayer Amschel Bauer (1744-1812) grew up as a worthy assistant to his father. He not only helped his father conduct business in the office, but also received a classical education for a Jew of that time at a rabbinical school. Mayer then went, on the recommendation of his father, to train at Oppenheimer's bank in Hanover, and when his father died in 1760, Mayer Amschel returned to Frankfurt and began exchanging and selling coins and medals. Among antique lovers, he quickly gained fame as a very efficient specialist. The fortune of Mayer Amschel Bauer, whom everyone called Rothschild, after the name of the office, grew in proportion to his fame.

In 1764, Mayer Amschel Rothschild, who by the age of 20 had already achieved great authority among the Frankfurt money changers, began supplying gold and coins to the court of the Prince of Hesse-Kassel, who ruled the territories neighboring Frankfurt. In 1769, Wilhelm IX, who ruled Hesse, appointed Mayer as a goof factor - the main supplier of the princely house. In fact, all issues of financial support for the princely house were in the hands of Mayer Rothschild. This gave Rothschild new, previously inaccessible levers of influence - already on political life.

The Hessian Landgrave Wilhelm IX was a very rich man compared to other German princes. He received the bulk of his income from trading soldiers. The Landgrave (like many other German princes) sold young men from peasant houses as soldiers to those rulers or to those countries where there was a “hot demand” for Landsknechts. For many centuries, Germany traded in its own people, and the Hessian princes occupied one of the first places on the list of slave traders. In 1785, William IX very profitably sold 17 thousand (!) German soldiers to the English crown, which needed “cannon fodder” for the war with the North American colonies fighting for their independence. So he increased his fortune even more.

The most serious blow for William IX was the invasion of Napoleonic troops into Germany. However, while the Elector was hiding, Mayer Rothschild, who managed his finances, was even able to increase the fortune of his patron. For example, he paid for the goods with money from the landgrave's account and received a large discount, avoiding risky operations to transport money to England and Frankfurt. The brilliant operation brought Rothschild a lot of money, and he was able to make money on the difference in the rates of the thaler that Wilhelm received and the pound that the British paid.

Mayer Rothschild's closest associates were his five sons - Amschel, Solomon, Nathan, Kalman and James. It was they, nicknamed “the five fingers of one hand,” who were to strengthen the power of the developing financial empire of the Rothschilds in the 19th century. Five arrows fastened with a ribbon are the coat of arms of the Rothschild clan, and the motto is “Concordia, Integritas, Industria” (Concord, Unity, Diligence). The eldest son Amschel Mayer Rothschild headed his father's business in Frankfurt am Main, Solomon Mayer Rothschild began to develop the Austrian branch in Vienna, Nathan Mayer Rothschild headed the London branch of the house, Kalman Mayer Rothschild - the Naples branch in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and James Mayer Rothschild - the French division of the house. It is worth noting here that in addition to his sons, Mayer Rothschild also had five daughters, but he was a principled opponent of his capital falling into the hands of his female relatives. Endogamous marriages have long been the main way for the Rothschild clan to maintain wealth within the family.

It was James who turned out to be the most successful among the brothers and after Nathan’s death it passed to him general leadership financial empire of the Rothschilds. James Rothschild began to actively invest the Rothschild family's finances in transport and industrial infrastructure, for example, in the construction of a railway network around Paris and in northern France. Following their financial success, political influence also came to the Rothschilds. All of them, of course, received nobility in the countries where they lived, and this introduced them into the highest circles of Great Britain, France, and Austria. In 1816, the Emperor of the Austrian Empire, Franz II, granted the Rothschilds a baronial title. The least successful project was the Naples branch of the Rothschilds. Its crisis and closure were associated with numerous economic problems and the subsequent weakening of the position of the Italian aristocracy, which had previously acted as the main debtors of the Naples branch of the House of Rothschild, following the unification of Italy. Eventually, the Naples Rothschild bank closed.

Despite the fact that the Rothschilds were active in continental Europe, their success was largely determined by the London branch. Connections with the British Empire played a vital role in the growth of wealth and influence of the Rothschild clan. There is a fairly widespread version that derives all the activities of the Rothschilds on their modern scale from the projects of the British Empire to expand their influence in continental Europe and in the world as a whole.

The most important event for the growth of the financial power of the Rothschilds was the Napoleonic Wars. It was at this time that the connection between the Rothschilds and the British Empire was finally formed. London instructed the Rothschilds to organize financial support for the British army stationed in Europe. A key role in the transfer of money was played by Nathan, who led the House of London, and James (James), who controlled France. The British government owes the success of the brilliant operation to the latter. James Rothschild presented the transfer of money by the British side as a manifestation of London's weakness, so Napoleon and his advisers did not even pay due attention to this action. Through France, which was at war (!) with Great Britain, James and Nathan Rothschild managed to transfer money to Portugal, which the British side then used to pay for gold brought from India.

The British leadership realized that the Rothschilds could be trusted with the most risky operations. For example, after Napoleon was defeated and overthrown, London entrusted the Rothschilds with the transfer of 120 million pounds of French reparations from Paris to London, Berlin and Vienna. No European bank at that time had the financial capacity to carry out such a large-scale operation. Rothschild money began to play an important role in world politics. The bank's operations acquired a planetary scale when the Rothschilds sponsored the government of the Brazilian Empire, which became financially dependent on the Rothschilds and remained there until the very end of the empire's existence. With Rothschild money in the 1820s. The creation of an independent Greek state was also financed, which the British Empire from the very beginning tried to bring under its full control in order to ensure British influence in the Mediterranean. In 1832, the Rothschilds provided a loan to Greece against English, French and Russian guarantees. And this is not a complete list of the financial participation of the House of Rothschild in European and world politics of the 19th century.

The Rothschild operations were invariably carried out in the interests of the British Empire. In fact, the Rothschilds turned into the main figurehead British treasurers who financed those projects that were politically and economically beneficial to London. On the other hand, the existence of the Rothschild clan made it possible to cover up the financial transactions and political interventions of the British crown. For this, the Rothschilds entered the elite of the British aristocracy, though not so much because of their wealth, but because of their long and useful service to the British crown.

Unlike numerous nouveau riche, primarily American millionaires, the Rothschilds have been maintaining the “brand of quality” for the fourth century, hiding the true size of their income and refusing ostentatious luxury. There are banks and companies controlled by the Rothschilds all over the world, but at the same time, the representatives of the famous banking family carefully hide the true scale of their empire. Moreover, they do this not so much of their own free will, but at the insistence of the British crown. After all, otherwise the role of Great Britain in managing the financial system would become clear modern world, in numerous economic crises, political upheavals and armed conflicts.

Already in the 19th century, the Rothschilds became involved in charity work, trying to ensure their positive image in the eyes of the European and then the world community. For example, James Mayer Rothschild in the mid-19th century began financial assistance to Palestinian Jews by founding a medical center in Jerusalem - the Mayer Rothschild Hospital. He was also behind the creation of a fund to help widows of Palestine, and built orphanages and social homes for refugees. Here it is worth paying attention to the (outwardly) difficult relationship of the Rothschilds with the Jewish national movement in the twentieth century. Most Rothschilds tried to distance themselves as much as possible from Jewish problems and Zionist political organizations. Some of them believed that Zionism would lead to an increase in anti-Semitism in Europe and would negatively affect the lives of Jewish communities. Lord Victor Rothschild generally opposed helping Jews who suffered from the Holocaust. In principle, it was within the power of the Rothschilds to organize the rescue of at least part of the European Jews, but this issue was never resolved by them, perhaps due to the positions of the British elite, whose interests, until a certain time, included both the strengthening of Nazi Germany and its attack on The Soviet Union, and even, probably, the organization of the Holocaust in Central and Eastern Europe.

On the other hand, Baron Edmond James de Rothschild led the first settlement of Jewish colonists in Palestine and contributed significant sums of money to buy lands from the Ottoman Empire to accommodate Jewish settlers (these lands are now part of the State of Israel). By the way, Edmond de Rothschild spent more than $50 million for these purposes, acquiring more than 500 square kilometers of land. The remains of Edmond de Rothschild, who died in 1934, were subsequently, in 1954, along with the remains of his wife, transported to Israel and buried there. Edmond de Rothschild was also a great connoisseur of art and a philanthropist.

When in Russian Empire, following the revolution of 1905, Jewish pogroms began, their victims were helped by Nathan Rothschild, the grandson of Nathan Mayer Rothschild, after whom it was named. He allocated 10 thousand pounds sterling, but transferred it in such a way as to avoid possible accusations of financing the Russian revolutionary movement.

The Rothschilds' restrained policy towards the Jewish movement is another evidence in favor of their relative lack of independence. The leading players of the House of Rothschild were afraid to show excessive independence, including in relation to support or protection of Jews, since they followed the policies of the British Empire.

Great Britain, which still plays a colossal role in both politics and the economy of the modern world, today prefers to formally remain in a “secondary role.” The United States of America and some other states are used as the main “battering ram” of Anglo-Saxon influence, and empires like the Rothschilds are used as financial instruments. However, this does not mean that London, which played a vital role in world politics for many centuries, suddenly decided to loosen the reins and voluntarily retreat to a secondary position. It’s just that the British monarchy has finally chosen the role of a “shadow center” for itself.

In principle, British parliamentarism is one of the ways to disguise the true system of governing the British state. One would have to be very naive to believe that the highest aristocracy of the British Empire, which had enjoyed all the political and financial benefits for centuries, would allow the real levers of government to pass into the hands of selected politicians of unknown origin. It’s another matter if these politicians are “screens” for implementing their own political course. Then it's a different matter. The British elite has a similar position in the field of financial management. Only here, instead of Labor imitating democracy, the Rothschilds are involved - supposedly having created their own empire from scratch and acting exclusively in their own financial interests.