How Voltaire Used a Mathematical Loophole to Build His Massive Fortune
In short: Before he was a celebrated Enlightenment philosopher, Voltaire was a struggling writer who found wealth through a clever, technically legal scheme. This video details how a chance meeting with a mathematician changed his financial trajectory forever.
In 1728, Voltaire, born Francois-Marie Arouet, was facing significant financial hardship. Having abandoned a legal career to pursue writing, he had already endured exile from Paris and an 11-month imprisonment in the Bastille. His life took a dramatic turn at a dinner party hosted by Charles du Fay, where he met the mathematician Charles Marie de la Condamine.
De la Condamine proposed a plan to generate substantial wealth through methods that were technically legal but ethically questionable. This collaboration proved to be a pivotal moment, securing the financial stability that allowed Voltaire to continue his intellectual work.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: How One of the Most Famous Philosophers in History Made His Fortune by Rigging the Lottery
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