John Law: Biografia, Risultati ed Eredità Duratura

Born in Scotland, Law was an accomplished gambler with an interest in the rules of probability. After killing a man in a duel and being sentenced to death, he fled to mainland Europe. He read economics and made the acquaintance of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, who became regent for the juvenile Louis XV in 1715. In 1716 Philippe approved Law's plan to create a private bank which would take gold deposits in return for bank notes, loaning out the gold. It was structured as a joint-stock company and was bought by the French government in 1718, becoming the Banque royale. In 1717 Law founded another joint-stock company, the Mississippi company, whose purpose was the economic exploitation of Louisiana as well as other French colonies. Law became Controller General of Finances in 1720 and was the richest man in Europe. He had to leave France that same year, as a stock boom turned into a bust. He then lived in various European cities and died in Venice, impoverished.

Vita e carriera

Fatti chiave

• Born: April 21, 1671 in Edinburgh, Scotland
• Morto: 1729
• Campo: Literature

Eredità e Impatto

The influence of John Law extends far beyond his own lifetime. He fundamentally shaped literature and the written word, and his written works and literary innovations remain foundational to this day.

Though he passed away in 1729, his ideas continue to be studied, debated, and built upon by scholars and practitioners worldwide.

John Law resta una delle menti più celebrate emerse da Scotland, testimonianza del ricco patrimonio intellettuale della regione.

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