Who is the real richest person in the world?

　　Table of Contents Preface Will the Chinese economic aircraft carrier set sail smoothly? / Chapter 1: The Rothschild Family – The World’s Richest People Who Operated in Secret /1 Napoleon’s Waterloo and the Rothschilds’ Triumphal Arch /3 The historical context in which the Rothschilds rose to power /6 The first fortune of the old Rothschilds /9 Nathan’s dominance over the financial district of London /12 James’s conquest of France /15 Solomon’s rise to power in Austria /17 Germany and Italy under the Rothschild banner /19 The Rothschild financial empire /20 Chapter 2: The Century-Long War Between International Bankers and U.S. Presidents /25 The assassination of President Lincoln /27 The power to issue currency and the American Revolutionary War /29 The first campaign by international bankers: The First Bank of the United States (1791–1811) /32 International bankers make a comeback: The Second Bank of the United States (1816–1832) /34 “The banks want to kill me, but I will kill the banks” /35 A new front: An independent financial system /37 International bankers strike again: The Panic of 1857 /40 The causes of the American Civil War: European international financial powers /41 Lincoln’s monetary reforms /43 Lincoln’s allies in Russia /46 Who was the real culprit behind Lincoln’s assassination? /47 The Fatal Compromise: The **Banking Act of 1863 /48 Chapter 3: The Federal Reserve – A Private Central Bank /55 The Mysterious Island ofekyll: The Birthplace of the Federal Reserve /57 The Seven Giants of Wall Street: The Hidden Drivers Behind the Federal Reserve /60 The Prelude to the Creation of the Federal Reserve: The Banking Crisis of 1907 /67 From the Gold Standard to Paper Money: A Major Shift in Bankers’ Worldview /69 The Elections of 1912 /71 Plan B /73 The Federal Reserve Act Passes – Bankers’ Dreams Come True /74 Who Owns the Federal Reserve? /77 The First Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve /80 The Little-Known Federal Advisory Committees /81 What Is the Truth? /82 Chapter 4: World War I and the Great Depression: A “Bountiful Season” for International Bankers /85 Without the Federal Reserve, There Would Be No World War I /87 The Federal Reserve During War, Under Strong’s Control /90 Wilson Enters War “For ** and Moral Principles” /91 Bankers Who Profited Handsomely from the War /93 The Treaty of Versailles: A 20-Year Truce /96 “Shearing the Sheep” and America’s Agricultural Decline in 1921 /97 The Conspiracies of International Bankers in 1927 /99 The Bursting of the Bubble in 1929: Another Act of “Shearing the Sheep” /101 The True Intentions Behind the Creation of the Great Depression /104 Chapter 5: The “New Deal” of Cheap Money /109 Keynes’ Concept of “Cheap Money” /111 The Presidential Election of 1932 /114 Who Was Franklin Delano Roosevelt? /116 Abolishing the gold standard: The historical mission assigned to Roosevelt by bankers /119 “Venture capital” chooses Hitler /122 Nazi Germany funded by Wall Street /125 Expensive wars and cheap currency /128 Chapter 6: The elite clubs that rule the world /131 Colonel House, the “spiritual godfather,” and the Foreign Relations Association /133 The Bank for International Settlements: The bank of central bankers /137 The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank /143 The elite groups that rule the world /148 The Bilderberg Club /150 The Trilateral Commission /152 Chapter 7: The last struggle for honest currency /157 Presidential Order 11110: Kennedy’s death certificate /159 The historical role of silver dollars /162 The end of the silver standard /166 The Gold Mutual Fund /169 Special Drawing Rights /174 The final push to abolish gold-based currency /175 “Economic assassins” and the return of oil dollars /177 Reagan’s assassination: The destruction of the last hope for the gold standard /179 Chapter 8: The undeclared currency war /185 The Middle East War in 1973: The dollar’s counterattack /187 Paul Volcker: “Controlled disintegration” of the world economy /190 The World Green Bank: Aiming to control 30% of the Earth’s land /193 Financial bombs: Targeting Tokyo /198 Soros: The financial hacker among international bankers /202 The “crisis arc” aimed at undermining European currencies /206 The struggle to strangle Asian currencies /209 The legend of China’s future /215 Chapter 9: The weaknesses of the dollar and the power of gold /217 The partial reserve system: The source of inflation /219 How debt dollars are created /222 America’s “debt avalanche” and the “IOUs” of Asian people /225 The “dominant business” in the financial derivatives market /229 **Chartered institutions: The “second Federal Reserve” /232 Gold: The king of currencies under house arrest /237 Level 1 alert: The Rothschilds’ withdrawal from gold pricing in 2004 /244 The weaknesses of the dollar-based bubble economy /246 Chapter 10: Those who plan for eternity /251 Currency: The measure of the economic world /253 Gold and silver: Stabilizers in times of price volatility /256 Debt-driven currency inflation and GDP reduction /258 The financial industry: China’s “strategic air force” for economic development /260 Future strategies: “Build high walls, stock up on resources, and wait before claiming dominance” /264 On the path to becoming a world reserve currency /266 Afterword: Some thoughts on China’s financial opening up /271

As long as I can control the issuance of **’s currency, I don’t care who makes the laws. Meyer Rothschild Introduction to this chapter: When international media constantly reports that Bill Gates, with a fortune of $50 billion, remains the world’s richest man, if you believe that, then you are being deceived. Because on the so-called lists of the richest people that are well-known to everyone, you simply won’t find any trace of those ultra-wealthy individuals whose influence is subtle; they have already taken tight control of the major Western media outlets. 　　As the saying goes, \"The great sage hides in the court.\" Today, the Rothschild family is still involved in banking, but if we randomly ask 100 Chinese people on the streets of Beijing or Shanghai, 99 of them might know Citibank in the United States, yet it’s unlikely that even one of them knows about the Rothschild Bank. 　　Who exactly are the Rothschilds? It would be as incredible for someone in the financial industry to have never heard of the name Rothschild, as it would be for a soldier to not know Napoleon, or for a physicist to not know Einstein. Strangely, but not surprisingly, this name is largely unknown to the vast majority of Chinese people. Yet its influence on the past, present, and future of the Chinese people as well as those around the world is enormous, despite its low level of recognition; its ability to remain hidden is truly astonishing. 　　How much wealth does the Rothschild family actually possess? This is a mystery of the world. A conservative estimate is 50 trillion dollars! How exactly did the Rothschild family earn such astonishing wealth? This is the story this chapter wants to tell you. 　　Strict family control, completely opaque and secretive operations, coordination as precise as that of clocks, always gaining information ahead of the market, utter cold rationality, an endless desire for power and wealth, along with a profound understanding of money and wealth and genius-level foresight derived from all these factors, enabled the Rothschild family to remain invincible throughout the more than 200 years of turmoil in finance, politics, and war around the world, thereby establishing the largest financial empire in human history to date. 1.1 Napoleon’s Waterloo and Rothschild’s Arc de Triomphe: Nathan was the third son of the elder Rothschild, and the most bold of the five brothers. In 1798, his father sent him from Frankfurt to England to develop the Rothschild family’s banking business. Nathan is a highly cunning and decisive banker; no one has ever truly understood his inner world. Thanks to his extraordinary financial talent and cunning tactics, by 1815 he had become one of London’s leading banking oligarchs. Nathan’s eldest brother, Amshel, managed the family’s bank headquarters in Frankfurt, namely M.A. Rothschild and Sons; his second brother, Solomon, established another branch of the family’s bank in Vienna, Austria, under the name S.M. Rothschild and Sons; his fourth brother, Karl, set up another bank in Naples, Italy; and his fifth brother, James, had a bank in Paris, France, called Messieus de Rothschild Freres. The banking system created by the Rothschild family was the world’s first international banking group. At this time, the five brothers were closely watching the military situation in Europe in 1815. This is a crucial war that determines the fate and future of the European continent. If Napoleon had achieved a final victory, France would undoubtedly have become the master of the European continent. If Lord Wellington defeats the French, Britain will dominate the balance of power among the great powers in Europe. Even before the war, the Rothschild family had wisely established its own systems for gathering strategic intelligence and transporting messages. They built a vast network of secret agents, these individuals who acted like strategic intelligence spies being called “the children”. These people were stationed in all the capitals of Europe, major cities, important trading centers, and business hubs, with various commercial, political, and other types of intelligence circulating between London, Paris, Frankfurt, Vienna, and Naples. The efficiency, speed, and accuracy of this intelligence system are astounding, far exceeding those of any official information network, and leaving other commercial competitors in the dust. All of this gives Rothschild Bank a clear advantage in almost all international competitions. “Rothschild Bank’s carriages raced along the roads across Europe, its ships sailed through the straits, and its spies were present in the streets of cities throughout Europe. They carried large amounts of cash, bonds, letters, and messages. Their latest exclusive information was quickly spread in the stock market and commodity markets, but none of this information was as valuable as the outcome of the Battle of Waterloo. ” On June 18, 1815, the Battle of Waterloo, which took place near Brussels in Belgium, was not only a life-or-death struggle between Napoleon’s and Wellington’s armies, but also a huge gamble for thousands of investors – those who won would acquire unprecedented wealth, while those who lost would suffer heavy losses. The atmosphere on the London stock exchange was extremely tense; everyone was anxiously awaiting the final outcome of the Battle of Waterloo. If Britain loses, the price of British government bonds (Consols) will plummet ； If Britain wins, British government bonds will soar to the skies. While the two armies engaged in a fierce battle in close combat, Rothschild’s spies were also diligently gathering as accurate information as possible about the progress of the battle from within both armies. More spies are on standby at all times to transmit the latest battle updates to the Rothschild intelligence relay station closest to the battlefield. By evening, Napoleon’s defeat was certain. A Rothschild messenger named Rosworth, who had witnessed the course of the battle with his own eyes, immediately rode fast on horseback to Brussels and then proceeded to the port of Ostend. It was already late at night when Roswoods boarded the Rothschild Express, which had a special pass. At that time, the English Channel was characterized by strong winds and rough waves; after paying 2,000 francs, he finally found a sailor who helped him cross the channel overnight. When he arrived on the shores of Foxton in Britain early in the morning on June 19, Nathan Rothschild was waiting there in person. Nathan quickly opened the envelope, glanced at the headline of the war report, and then rode straight to the stock exchange in London. As Nathan strode into the stock exchange, the anxious and excited crowd waiting for news immediately fell silent; everyone’s gaze was fixed on Nathan’s expressionless, enigmatic face. At that moment, Nathan slowed down and walked to his throne, known as the “Rothschild Pillar”. At this moment, the muscles on his face were as rigid as those of a stone statue, showing no trace of emotion. By this time, the trading hall was completely devoid of its usual hustle and bustle; everyone pinned their hopes for wealth, honor, and disgrace on Nathan’s gaze. After a brief moment, Nathan gave a meaningful glance to the Rothschild family traders surrounding him, and they immediately rushed silently to the trading desks to start selling British government bonds. A stir immediately arose in the hall; some people began to whisper to each other, while many others stood there, still at a loss. At that point, British government bonds worth hundreds of thousands of dollars were suddenly dumped into the market, causing their prices to drop. Then, even larger waves of sell orders came in, one after another, and the prices of those bonds began to collapse. At this moment, Nathan still sat motionless on his throne, with no expression on his face. Finally, someone in the trading hall screamed, “The Rothschilds know!” ”“The Rothschilds know! ”“Wellington was defeated! ”Everyone immediately realized what was happening, as if shocked; selling turned into panic. When a person suddenly loses their sanity, following others’ behavior becomes a form of self-imposed compulsion. Everyone wants to get rid of the now worthless British government bonds as soon as possible, in order to retain as much of their meager remaining wealth as possible. After several hours of frantic selling, British government bonds have become worthless, with their face value reduced to just 5%. At this moment, Nathan, just as at the beginning, continued to watch all of this with indifference. His eyes flickered slightly with a look that could never be understood without long-term training, but this time the signal was completely different. The numerous traders around him immediately rushed to their respective trading desks and began buying every British bond available on the market. At 11 p.m. on June 21, Lord Wellington’s messenger, Henry Percy, finally arrived in London with the news that Napoleon’s army had been utterly defeated after 8 hours of fierce fighting; it had lost one-third of its soldiers – France was finished! This news arrived a full day later than Nathan’s information! And within that single day, Nathan made a profit 20 times greater than what Napoleon and Wellington earned together over decades of war! The Battle of Waterloo made Nathan Britain’s **largest creditor all at once, allowing him to take control of the country’s future bond issuances; the Bank of England came under Nathan’s control as well. Britain’s government bonds are essentially vouchers for future **taxes; the obligation of the British people to pay various taxes turns into a form of indirect taxation imposed by the Rothschild Bank on the entire population. Britain’s **fiscal expenditures are financed by issuing government bonds; in other words, since Britain **does not have the power to issue currency, it must borrow money from private banks, paying around 8% in interest, with both the principal and interest being settled in gold coins. When Nathan held a overwhelming amount of British government bonds, he effectively controlled their prices and thus influenced the entire money supply of Britain; the economic fate of Britain was firmly in the hands of the Rothschild family. Full of pride, Nathan did not hide his pride in having conquered the British Empire: I don’t care what kind of English puppet is placed on the throne to rule this vast Empire on which the sun never sets. Whoever controls the money supply of the British Empire controls the British Empire, and that person is me! 1.2 The historical context in which the Rothschilds emerged: Those few who understood this system (check money and credit money) were either highly interested in the profits generated by it or relied heavily on the benefits provided by this system (the politicians); such people would not oppose us. On the other hand, the vast majority of people lack the intellectual capacity to understand the tremendous advantages brought about by the capital derived from this system; they will endure oppression without complaint, and not even suspect for a moment that this system harms their interests. 　　——The Rothschild Brothers, 1863 Old Rothschild grew up in an era when the Industrial Revolution was advancing rapidly across Europe, and the financial sector was experiencing unprecedented prosperity; new financial practices and ideas spread throughout Europe from the Netherlands and Britain. With the establishment of the Bank of England in 1694, a concept and practice of money that was far more complex than before were created by a group of adventurous bankers. 　　During the 100 years of the 17th century, both the concept and form of money underwent profound changes. From 1694 to the publication of Adam Smith’s \"The Wealth of Nations\" in 1776, for the first time in human history, the amount of paper money issued by banks exceeded the total amount of metal currency in circulation. The unprecedentedly huge financing needs generated by the Industrial Revolution in emerging industries such as railways, mines, shipbuilding, machinery, textiles, military manufacturing, and energy created an increasingly sharp conflict with the old, inefficient, and highly limited financing capabilities of traditional goldsmith banks. The new bankers, represented by the Rothschild family, seized this historically significant opportunity to take complete control of the course of modern finance in a way that served their own interests best, while the fate of everyone else was forced, or unconsciously, to be determined by this system. 　　Two civil wars and periods of political instability since 1625 had left Britain’s treasury empty. When William I came to power in 1689 (having obtained the throne by marrying Mary, daughter of King James II), he found himself faced with a mess. Coupled with the war he was waging against King Louis XIV of France, this forced William I to seek funds in any way possible, to the point where he was willing to accept almost any offer. At this time, bankers led by William Paterson proposed to the king a new concept borrowed from the Netherlands: establishing a private central bank—the Bank of England—to finance the king’s enormous expenses. 　　This private bank provided ** with £1.2 million in cash as a \"perpetual loan\" at an annual interest rate of 8%, with a management fee of £4,000 per year. In this way, ** only needs to spend £100,000 per year to obtain £1.2 million in cash, and there is no need to repay the principal ever! Of course, **more “benefits” need to be provided, namely allowing the Bank of England to issue** recognized bank notes exclusively. 　　It has long been known that what is most profitable for goldsmith bankers is to issue banknotes, which are essentially receipts for the gold coins that depositors keep with the goldsmiths. Since carrying large amounts of gold coins was very inconvenient, people began to use receipts for the gold coins in transactions, and then exchange those receipts for actual gold coins at jewelers. Over time, people felt it was unnecessary to always go to the goldsmith to deposit or withdraw gold coins, and eventually these receipts became currency. The clever goldsmith-bankers gradually realized that only a few people came to withdraw gold coins each day. So they began to issue more receipts secretly, using them to lend money to those in need and collecting interest. When the borrowers repaid the amount owed, including interest, the goldsmith-bankers would take back the receipts and destroy them quietly, as if nothing had happened, while keeping the interest in their own pockets. The wider the circulation of a goldsmith’s bank receipt and the greater its acceptance, the higher the profits. The scope of circulation and degree of acceptance of banknotes issued by the Bank of England are far beyond what other banks can achieve; it is these **recognized banknotes** that constitute currency. 　　The Bank of England’s share capital is offered to the public, and those who subscribe for £2,000 or more are eligible to become Governors of the Bank of England. A total of 1,330 people became shareholders of the Bank of England, and 14 people became directors of the bank, including William Patterson. 　　In 1694, King William I issued a Royal Charter for the Bank of England, and thus the first modern bank was born. 　　The core idea of the Bank of England is to transform the private debts of the king and royal family into permanent debts, secured by taxes paid by the entire population, with the Bank of England issuing currency based on those debts. In this way, the king has money to wage wars or to enjoy himself; he has money to do what he wants. The bankers provide the large loans they’ve long desired and earn substantial interest income – it seems like a win-win situation, with only the people’s taxes serving as collateral. Thanks to such powerful new financial instruments, Britain’s deficit soared; from 1670 to 1685, Britain’s fiscal revenue was 24.8 million pounds. From 1685 to 1700, **revenues more than doubled, reaching 55.7 million pounds; however, Britain’s** borrowing from the Bank of England increased by more than 17 times during that period, rising from 800,000 pounds to 13.8 million pounds. 　　Even better, this design ties **money issuance to permanent government bonds together. To introduce new currency, it is necessary to increase government bonds; and paying off those bonds means destroying the currency – there will be no currency in circulation in the market, so it is impossible to ever pay off the debts. Due to the need to pay interest and support economic development, there is an inevitable increase in the demand for money; this money has to be borrowed from banks. As a result, government debt keeps rising indefinitely, with all the interest income from these debts going into the banks’ pockets, while the cost of those interests is borne by the people through taxes! 　　Indeed, from then on, the UK **never managed to pay off its debts again. By the end of 2005, the UK **’s debt had risen from 1.2 million pounds in 1694 to 525.9 billion pounds, accounting for 42.8% of the UK’s GDP. It seems that, for such a huge sum of money, it is indeed worth taking the risk of blocking the path to privatization of banks, be it by beheading one or two kings or assassinating several presidents. 　　1.3 The First Fortune of the Old Rothschilds On February 23, 1744, Mayer A. Rothschild was born in the Jewish quarter of Frankfurt. His father, Moses, was a itinerant goldsmith and lender who spent most of his time making a living in Eastern Europe. After Mayer was born, Moses decided to settle in Frankfurt. Meyer showed an extraordinary intelligence from a young age; his father invested a great deal of effort in him, training him carefully and teaching him systematically the business knowledge related to money and borrowing. A few years later, Moses passed away, and with the encouragement of his relatives, 13-year-old Mayer went to work as an apprentice banker at the Oppenheimer family’s bank in Hanover. 　　With his exceptional insight and diligence, Mayer quickly mastered various specialized skills related to bank operations. Over a period of seven years, he absorbed and digested all the innovative ideas in the field of finance that came from Britain, just like a sponge absorbing water. Due to her excellent work, Mayer was promoted to junior partner. During his time working at the bank, he met some clients with significant influence, including General Von Eistoff, who played a major role in his future career. It was here that Mayer realized that lending money to ** and the king carried much higher profits and lower risk factors compared to lending to individuals; not only were the loan amounts much larger, but there was also **tax revenue as collateral. This entirely new financial concept from the UK refreshed Mayer’s mind. 　　A few years later, the young Mayer returned to Frankfurt to continue his father’s lending business. He also changed his surname to Rothschild (Rot is German for red, and Schild means shield in German). When Mayer learned that General von Istowff had also returned to Frankfurt and was working at Prince Wilhelm’s court, he immediately thought of taking advantage of this relationship. General von Eistort was also very happy when he saw Mayer again. The general himself was a coin collector, while Mayer’s expertise in coins was passed down through generations; he knew all about ancient coins as if they were something familiar to him, which thrilled the general greatly. What pleased the general even more was that Mayer was willing to sell him a few rare gold coins at a very low discount, and soon General von Istowf regarded Mayer as a close friend. Cunning Mayer quickly became familiar with the important figures at court. One day, through the introduction of General Von Esterhazy, Prince William met with Mayer; it turned out that the prince himself was also a collector of gold coins. Using the same tactics, Mayer quickly won the prince’s favor. 　　After selling the prince several rare gold coins at low prices, the prince felt a bit embarrassed and asked Mayer if there was anything he could do to help. Mayer seized the opportunity to request to become the official agent of the court, and he finally got his wish. On September 21, 1769, Mayer had the royal coat of arms affixed to his sign, with the words \"M•A•Rothschild, Agent Appointed by His Royal Highness Prince William\" written in gold letters beside it. For a time, Mayer’s reputation soared, and his business grew increasingly successful. 　　Prince William himself was, in history, a man obsessed with wealth; in 18th-century Europe, he was famous for \"renting out armies\" to other powers in order to \"maintain peace.\" He maintains close relations with various royal families in Europe, and he particularly enjoys doing business with the British royal family. Since Britain has many overseas interests and often needs to deploy troops, yet lacks sufficient military forces of its own, it is willing to spend more money, and it rarely defaults on payments; hence, it hit it off well with Prince William. Later, during the American Revolutionary War, Washington dealt with more German soldiers than British ones. Prince William thus accumulated the largest royal estate in European history, amounting to approximately 200 million dollars. No wonder people call him “Europe’s most ruthless loan shark.” 　　After joining Prince William’s team, Mayer dedicated himself wholeheartedly to completing every task to the best of his ability, which won him the prince’s great trust. Soon, the French bourgeois revolution (1789–1799) broke out, and the wave of revolution gradually spread from France to the surrounding monarchies. Prince William began to feel anxious; he was increasingly worried that the revolution might find resonance in Germany and that mobs would plunder his wealth. Contrary to the prince’s thoughts, Mayer was very pleased with the French Revolution, as panic led to a surge in demand for his gold coins. When the revolution turned its focus toward the Holy Roman Empire, trade between Germany and Britain was interrupted, and the prices of imported goods soared. Selling goods from Britain to Germany allowed Mayer to make a large profit. 　　Meier has always been a very active leader in the Jewish community. “Every Saturday night, after the services at the synagogue were over, Mayer would invite some of the wisest Jewish scholars to his home. They would gather together, drinking wine slowly while discussing in detail the sequence of actions to be taken, well into the night. ” 　　Mayer once said, “Families that pray together will stay together.” ”Later generations have never been able to understand what force drove the Rothschilds to be so determined in their pursuit of conquest and power. 　　By 1800, the Rothschild family had become one of the wealthiest Jewish families in Frankfurt. In the same year, Mayer was also granted the title of “Imperial Royal Agent” by the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. This title allowed him to travel throughout the various regions of the empire, exempting him from the various taxes imposed on other Jews, and his entourage was also permitted to carry weapons. 　　In 1803, the growing closeness between Mayer and Prince William led to a significant rise in Mayer’s power. Here’s what happened: one of Prince William’s cousins is the king of Denmark, and he asked Prince William for a loan. Prince William refused, fearing that it would show off his wealth. When Mayer learned of this, he saw it as a great opportunity, so he proposed a solution to the prince: the prince would provide the funds, while Mayer would handle the negotiations to grant a loan to the King of Denmark in the name of the Rothschilds, with Mayer receiving a commission on the interest. The prince thought it over carefully and felt it was a good idea – it allowed him to lend money and earn money without revealing his wealth. For Mayer, lending money to the king was something he had long dreamed of doing; it not only provided steady returns but also represented an excellent opportunity to enhance his reputation. As a result, the loan was a tremendous success. Immediately afterward, six more loans from the Danish royal family were arranged through Meyer. The Rothschilds became famous, especially as their close ties to the royal families became known in Europe. 　　After Napoleon came to power, he tried to draw Prince William on his side. Prince William was hesitant and unwilling to take a side until the situation became clearer. Eventually, Napoleon declared that the House of Hesse-Kassel (Prince William’s family) should be removed from the list of rulers in Europe. Immediately thereafter, French troops marched in, and Prince William fled to Denmark in haste. Before leaving, he handed over $3 million in cash to Meyer for safekeeping. It was this $3 million in cash that granted Mayer unprecedented power and wealth, serving as the initial capital for him to build his financial empire. 　　Mayer has ambitions far greater than establishing a Bank of England! When he received that large sum of money from Prince William, he began to deploy his people. His five sons flew like five sharp arrows toward the five heartlands of Europe. The eldest, Amoslo, was stationed at the headquarters in Frankfurt; the second, Solomon, went to Vienna to open up a new front; the third, Nathan, was sent to Britain to take charge of overall operations; the fourth, Karl, headed to Naples in Italy to establish a base, acting as a messenger between the brothers; and the fifth, James, was in charge of operations in Paris. 　　An unprecedented financial empire in human history has emerged. 1.4 Nathan dominates the City of London They (the Rothschild family) are the rulers of the world’s financial markets, and thus, of almost everything else as well. They actually possess assets secured by the financial revenues of the entire southern Italy region, and all the kings and ministers in (Europe) listen to their teachings. 　　Benjamin Disraeli, Prime Minister of Britain, 1844. The City of London is an area of just 2.6 square kilometers that lies at the heart of Greater London. Since the 18th century, it has been the financial center of Britain and indeed the world. It has its own independent judicial system, similar to that of the Vatican, making it somewhat like a nation within a nation. This small area is home to major global financial institutions, including the headquarters of the Bank of England, and contributes 1/6 of the UK’s GDP today. Whoever controls the City of London controls Britain. 　　Nathan arrived in Britain at a time when France and Britain were in confrontation and had imposed blockades on each other. British goods were sold at high prices in Europe, so Nathan began working together with his brother James in France to smuggle goods from the UK to France for resale, earning a lot of money from it. Later, Nathan met John Harris, an officer from the British Treasury, and learned about the difficulties faced by the British troops in Spain. At that time, the British forces under the command of Duke Wellington were ready to attack the French army; the only problem was a lack of pay for the soldiers. Despite the guarantees provided by Britain, the Duke of Wellington found it extremely difficult to persuade the bankers in Spain and Portugal to accept the banknotes he offered; his army was in urgent need of gold. 　　Nathan had an idea and decided to make a fortune from this. He searched around for sources of gold. Happily, the East India Company had a batch of gold that had just been brought in from India and was ready to be sold, and Britain also wanted to purchase it, but thought the price was too high and wanted to wait until the price dropped before making a purchase. Nathan understood the situation quickly; he invested all 3 million dollars in cash that Prince William had to expand his empire in Britain, as well as the large sum of money he had earned from smuggling goods into Britain. He struck a deal with the East India Company first, purchasing 800,000 pounds worth of gold, and then immediately raised the price of gold. With the price of gold failing to fall in the UK, and urgent military situations ahead, there was no choice but to purchase it from Nathan at a high price. This deal made Nathan a fortune. 　　But Nathan continued to devise further schemes; he proposed to escort this gold to the Duke of Wellington’s army. At that time, France imposed a strict land blockade on Britain, making this mission extremely risky; Britain was **willing to pay a high price to transport this gold. After taking on this task, Nathan asked his 19-year-old brother James to inform France that Nathan wanted to send gold there; the British would likely be very angry about this, as the flow of gold to France would weaken Britain’s financial strength. Upon hearing of such a wonderful opportunity, France naturally saw no reason not to offer strong support; it immediately ordered its police to provide protection along the way and ensure smooth passage. A few astute French officials were also bribed heavily to stay silent. 　　Thus, the gold escorted by Nathan and others received support from both Britain and France; it entered the banks in Paris in a grand manner. While attending a reception hosted by the French authorities, Nathan secretly sent people to convert the gold into coins that Duke Wellington would accept, and then those coins were transported, undetected, through Rothschild’s transportation network to the British forces in Spain. The sophistication of its techniques is on par with those in modern Hollywood films. 　　A Prussian diplomat in Britain said, “The Rothschilds have an astonishingly great influence on financial affairs here (in London).” They completely control the foreign exchange transaction prices in the City of London. As bankers, their power is astonishing. When Nathan gets angry, the Bank of England trembles. ” 　　Once, Nathan took a check issued by his brother Amoslo from the Rothschild Bank in Frankfurt to the Bank of England to have it cashed, but the bank refused on the grounds that it would only cash checks issued by its own bank. Nathan was furious; early the next morning, he took his nine bank employees with him and presented a large number of checks from the Bank of England to have the gold exchanged for cash. In just one day, the Bank of England’s gold reserves were significantly reduced. The next day, Nathan brought more checks. A senior bank executive asked Nathan in a trembling voice how many more days he needed to exchange them, to which Nathan replied coldly, “The Bank of England refuses to accept my checks; why would I want them?” ”The Bank of England immediately convened an emergency meeting, and then the bank’s senior officials politely told Nathan that the Bank of England would be honored to exchange all Rothschild Bank checks going forward. 　　At the Battle of Waterloo, Nathan seized control of the City of London, thereby taking hold of Britain’s economic lifelines. From then on, crucial decision-making powers, including those related to currency issuance and gold prices, remained in the hands of the Rothschild family. 1.5 James’s Conquest of France When one relies on bankers for money, it are the bankers who hold control of the situation, rather than the leader, because those who give money always have more power than those who receive it. Money has no homeland; financiers know nothing of patriotism or nobility – their only goal is to make a profit. 　　Napoleon, 1815 James, the fifth son of the old Rothschild, traveled back and forth between London and Paris during Napoleon’s rule, establishing a family transportation network to smuggle British goods. After helping Wellington transport gold and in the campaign to acquire British government bonds, James became famous in France. He established Rothschild Bank in Paris and secretly funded the Spanish Revolution. 　　In 1817, following the defeat at Waterloo, France lost the vast territories it had acquired during the Napoleonic Wars; its political situation became constrained, and its national economy continued to decline. Louis XVIII took out loans everywhere in an attempt to stabilize his finances over time. A French bank and Britain’s Barings Bank received substantial **financing deals, while the renowned Rothschild Bank was left out, which angered James. 　　By 1818, having reaped benefits from the rise in prices of the **bonds** issued the previous year in Paris and other European cities, France wanted to raise funds from these two banks again. The Rothschild brothers racked their brains yet gained not a shred of benefit. It turns out that the French nobles, relying on their noble origins and high status, considered the Rothschilds to be nothing but a group of nouveau riche country bumpkins, and were unwilling to do business with them. Although James was wealthy in Paris, with luxurious homes and fine clothes, he did not hold a high social status, and the arrogance of the French nobility angered James. 　　James immediately began to plan, along with a few other brothers, how to subdue the French nobles. The French nobles, though proud, were not intelligent; they underestimated the Rothschild family’s exceptional strategic and tactical skills in finance, as well as their ability to plan and succeed from a distance – skills that were on par with Napoleon’s military talents. 　　On November 5, 1818, French government bonds, which had previously been steadily appreciating in value, suddenly began to decline in price in an unusual manner. Soon, the bonds of ** other companies also began to be affected, with their prices falling to varying degrees. Investors in the market began to discuss it among themselves. Over time, the situation not only failed to improve but actually got worse. Talks in the exchanges gradually turned into rumors; some said Napoleon might return to power, others claimed that fiscal revenues were not sufficient to cover interest payments, and still others were worried about the outbreak of new wars. 　　The atmosphere at Louis XVIII’s court was also quite tense; if bond prices continued to fall sharply, **it would become impossible to finance future expenses. The proud nobles too wore expressions of worry on their faces; everyone was concerned about the future of **. Only two people watched from the side with cold eyes; they were James and his brother Carl. 　　Given the precedent set by Britain, some people began to suspect that the Rothschild family was manipulating the government bond market. That is indeed the case. Starting in October 1818, backed by their substantial financial resources, the Rothschild family began to quietly acquire French bonds in various European cities, causing the value of those bonds to rise gradually. Then, starting from November 5th, they suddenly began selling French bonds on a large scale across Europe at the same time, causing great panic in the market. 　　Watching the price of his bonds plummet like an object in free fall, Louis XVIII felt that his crown was also lost forever. At this time, agents of the Rothschild family in the court advised the king that why not let the wealthy Rothschild Bank try to save the situation? Distraught Louis XVIII could no longer afford to concern himself with his royal status and immediately summoned the James brothers. The atmosphere at the Elysee Palace changed completely; the James brothers, who had been neglected for so long, were now surrounded by smiles and respect everywhere. 　　Indeed, the James brothers stepped in right away to prevent the collapse of the bonds; they became the focus of attention throughout France. After France’s defeat, it was they who saved the country from the economic crisis! Praise and flowers filled Brother James and his brothers with joy, and even the style of their clothing became a popular fashion trend. Their banks became places where people rushed to obtain loans. 　　As a result, the Rothschild family took complete control of French finance. 　　“James Rothschild’s wealth reached 600 million francs. In France, there is only one person who is richer than him, and that is the King of France, whose wealth amounts to 800 million francs. The wealth of all the other bankers in France combined is still 150 million francs less than James’s. Such wealth naturally endowed him with indescribable power, to the extent that he could bring down the **cabinet at any time. For example, the well-known Thiers **was overthrown by him. ” 　　1.6 Solomon’s Conquest of Austria In their eyes (those of the Rothschild family), there is no war nor peace, no slogans or declarations, nor sacrifice or honor; they ignore all those things that deceive people’s minds. All they see are stepping stones. Prince William is one; the next is Metternich. 　　Frederic Merton: Solomon was the second son of the Rothschild family; he traveled constantly between the various cities in Europe, acting as a coordinator among the family’s banks. Among his brothers, he possessed outstanding diplomatic skills, used precise language, and was adept at flattery. A banker who had dealt with Solomon once commented, “No one left him without feeling refreshed.” ”It was for this reason that the brothers unanimously elected him to go to Vienna to develop banking operations in the heart of Europe. 　　Vienna was the political center of Europe at that time, and almost all European royal families were closely related by blood to the Habsburg dynasty of Austria. As the royal family of the Holy Roman Empire (which was dissolved in 1806), the Habsburg dynasty ruled over territories that include present-day Austria, Germany, northern Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and eastern France for over 400 years; it represents the oldest and most legitimate royal lineage in Europe. 　　Although the Napoleonic Wars destroyed the Holy Roman Empire, its successor Austria still considered itself the leader of Central Europe, looking down on other royal houses. Coupled with its orthodox Catholic doctrine, which is far more rigid compared to Protestant-dominated countries such as England and France, dealing with such a noble family is far more honorable than interacting with Prince William. Although the Rothschild family attempted several times in the past to establish business relations with the Habsburgs, they were always kept out by the royal family and were unable to gain access. 　　By the time the Napoleonic Wars ended and Solomon knocked again on the doors of Vienna, the situation had completely changed. The Rothschild family has become a renowned and influential family in Europe; with the momentum from their conquests of Britain and France, they have gained considerable confidence. Nevertheless, Solomon did not dare to take the risk of dealing directly with the Habsburgs; instead, he found a \"stepping stone\" in the form of Klemens von Metternich, the Austrian foreign minister who was famous in European politics during the 19th century. 　　In Europe after Napoleon’s defeat, the Vienna System established under Metternich brought about the longest period of peace in 19th-century Europe. Amidst Austria’s declining strength and its encirclement by powerful enemies, Metternich brought the essence of checks and balances to its fullest expression. He leveraged the residual royal legitimacy of the Habsburgs in Europe to bring together neighboring countries Prussia and Russia to form a Holy Alliance. This alliance not only prevented France from making a comeback but also checked Russia’s ambitions for expansion. It also created a mechanism for jointly suppressing nationalist and liberal movements within the country, ensuring that the various ethnic separatist forces in Austria would not get out of control. 　　The Congress of Aachen in 1818 was an important meeting to discuss Europe’s future after Napoleon’s defeat; representatives from countries such as Britain, Russia, Austria, Prussia, and France decided on issues such as France’s war reparations and the withdrawal of allied forces. Solomon and his brother Karl both attended this meeting. It was at this meeting that, through Gentz, Metternich’s right-hand man, Solomon met Metternich and quickly became close friends with him, able to share everything. On the one hand, Solomon’s clever and appropriate compliments were of great use to Metternich; on the other hand, Metternich also wanted to take advantage of the Rothschild family’s substantial financial power. The two of them got along perfectly, and Solomon and Kings became inseparable friends. 　　With the strong recommendations of Metternich and King, coupled with the close business ties between the Rothschilds and Prince William as well as the Danish royal family, Solomon finally managed to overcome the formidable barriers put up by the Habsburgs. The royal family began to borrow money and secure financing from Solomon’s bank on a regular and frequent basis, and Solomon quickly became part of the inner circle. In 1822, the Habsburg monarchy granted baronies to the four Rothschild brothers (except Nathan). 　　With Solomon’s generous support, Metternich began to expand Austria’s influence, sending troops to troubled regions to \"maintain peace.\" This pushed Austria, which was already experiencing a decline in its national strength, into an even deeper debt crisis, thereby increasing its reliance on Solomon’s financial resources. Europe from 1814 to 1848 was known as the \"Metternich Era,\" but in reality, it was the Rothschild Bank that controlled Metternich. 　　In 1822, Metternich, Kins, and the Solomon, James, and Karl brothers attended the important Verona Congress. After the meeting, Rothschild Bank received generous funding for the first China-Europe railway project. The Austrians increasingly felt the influence of the Rothschilds, and people began to joke that \"Austria has an Emperor Ferdinand and a King Solomon.\" In 1843, Solomon acquired the Výtkovice Joint Mining Company and the Austro-Hungarian Smelting Company, both of which were among the world’s ten largest heavy industry companies at that time. 　　By 1848, Solomon had become the dominant force in Austria’s finance and economy. 1.7 Germany and Italy under the Rothschild emblem  Since Napoleon withdrew his troops from Germany, the country was transformed from over 300 loose feudal principalities into more than 30 larger states, giving rise to the German Confederation. Amshel, the eldest Rothschild remaining in Frankfurt, was appointed as Germany’s first Minister of Finance, and in 1822 he was granted the title of baron by the Austrian emperor. The Rothschild Bank in Frankfurt became the center of finance in Germany. Since Amerslo had no children of his own, which he regarded as a lifelong regret, he wholeheartedly supported those who came after him. One of the young men who was highly favored by Bismarck was Otto von Bismarck, the iron-fisted chancellor of Germany who would later become famous in world modern history. 　　Amselford and Bismarck were as close as father and son; after Amselford’s death, Bismarck continued to maintain close ties with the Rothschild family. The banker behind Bismarck, Samuel Bleichroder, was also an agent of the Rothschild family. 　　The fourth son, Karl, was the least outstanding of the Rothschild brothers; he served as the family’s main messenger, traveling throughout Europe to deliver messages and assist his other brothers. After helping his fifth brother achieve a brilliant victory in the French debt war of 1818, Karl was sent by his third brother Nathan, who was in charge of the family affairs, to Naples in Italy to establish a bank there. In Italy, he demonstrated abilities that exceeded those of his other brothers. Karl not only funded Metternich’s troops sent to Italy for the revolution, but also used his excellent political skills to force the local Italians to bear the costs of the occupying forces. He also helped his friend Medici plan and secure the important position of treasurer of Naples. Karl gradually became the financial pillar of the Italian court, with his influence extending across the Italian Peninsula. He also established business relations with the Vatican. When Pope Gregory XVI met him, he made an exception by extending his hand for Karl to kiss, rather than extending his foot as was usual. 1.8 The Rothschild Financial Empire As long as you brothers stay united, no bank in the world can compete with you, harm you, or profit at your expense. Together, you will possess more power than any bank in the world. 　　Letter from Davidson to Nathan, June 24, 1814. Before his death in 1812, the old Rothschild left behind strict instructions in his will: (1) All key positions in the family banks must be held by members of the family itself, and outsiders are not allowed to hold them. Only male family members are allowed to participate in family business activities. 　　(2) Intra-family marriages may only take place between cousins to prevent the dilution and loss of wealth. (This rule was strictly enforced in the early days, but was later relaxed to allow marriages with other Jewish banking families.) ) (3) It is absolutely forbidden to disclose one’s financial situation to outsiders. 　　(4) Lawyers are absolutely prohibited from getting involved in property inheritance. 　　(5) The eldest son of each family serves as the head of that family; only with the unanimous agreement of the family can a younger son be chosen to take over. 　　Anyone who violates the will will lose all rights to inherit the property. 　　There is a Chinese proverb that goes, \"When brothers are united, their strength can cut through metal.\" The Rothschild family strictly prevents the dilution and loss of wealth through intra-family marriages. Over more than 100 years, there were 18 instances of inbreeding within the family, 16 of which occurred between first cousins. 　　It is estimated that around 1850, the Rothschild family had accumulated a total wealth equivalent to $6 billion. At a return rate of 6%, their assets would be worth at least $50 trillion today, more than 150 years later. 　　Strict family control, completely opaque and secretive operations, coordination as precise as that of clocks, access to information ahead of the market by always, utter cold rationality, an endless desire for power and wealth, along with a profound understanding of money and wealth and genius-level foresight derived from all of these factors, enabled the Rothschild family to remain invincible throughout over 200 years of turmoil in finance, politics, and war, thereby establishing the largest financial empire in human history to date. 　　By the early 20th century, the wealth controlled by the Rothschild family was estimated to account for half of the world’s total wealth at that time. 　　The Rothschild family’s banks are present in the major cities of Europe, and they possess their own systems for gathering and transmitting information quickly. Even European royal families and nobles rely on these systems when they need to send various messages swiftly and secretly. They were also the first to create an international financial settlement system; by leveraging their control over the world gold market, they established, within their family banking system, the first account settlement system that did not rely on the physical transport of gold. 　　In this world, there is probably no one who understands the true meaning of gold better than the Rothschild family. When the Rothschild family announced its withdrawal from the London gold pricing system in 2004, it was quietly moving away from the center of an unprecedented financial crisis to come, in order to distance itself from any connection with gold prices. The heavily indebted U.S. dollar economy, the troubled global fiat currency system, and the world’s foreign exchange reserve system are likely to face liquidation; Asia’s wealth, which consists of only minimal gold reserves, will be \"reallocated\" to the future winners. Hedge funds will launch another attack, only this time the target will not be the pound and Asian currencies, but the dollar, the pillar of the world economy. 　　For bankers, war is excellent news. Because the various expensive facilities and items that suffer from slow depreciation in times of peace can be destroyed in an instant during war, the warring parties will do whatever it takes to achieve victory; by the end of the war, **both the winners and losers will find themselves deeply trapped in debt to the banks. During the 121 years from the establishment of the Bank of England to the end of the Napoleonic Wars (1694–1815), Britain was at war for 56 years, spending the remaining half preparing for the next war. 　　Instigating and financing wars served the fundamental interests of bankers, and the Rothschild family was no exception; their influence could be seen behind almost all modern wars from the French Revolution to World War II. The Rothschild family is the largest creditor among today’s major Western developed countries. Before her death, the wife of the old Rothschild (Gutle Schnapper) said, “If my sons do not want war to happen, then no one will love war.” ” 　　By the mid-19th century, the power to issue currency in the major European industrial countries such as Britain, France, Germany, Austria, and Italy fell under the control of the Rothschild family; \"the sacred power of kingship was replaced by the sacred power of finance.\" By this time, the beautiful, prosperous, and wealthy continent of America across the Atlantic had long come into their sight.

It’s so long. Does this family really exist?

It’s quite long, but I’m still interested in reading it. Please don’t keep us in suspense – upload it as soon as possible. Thank you.

A really good long-running series. It’s very helpful for me, thank you!

I have read this book – \"The War on Money\"; indeed, the Rothschild family is mentioned in it, and it’s a book worth reading.