Piazza della Signoria
Good morrow my loyal followers,
I hath decided to write the story of mine success, and mayhap the poorer folk reading this can use some of my ideas to build thou fortune as well. Although, if thoust would like to overtake me, I hath ways of exterminating thee.
My source of wealth is the Sforza bank, with 3 locations in Europe. Florence, Venice, and Berlin. As a young child, I watched my father as a successful merchant. As thou economists might know, textiles are an emerging commodity where I come from. My father’s discovery of this helped him in his great success. He hath a way with people. He also created political connections and influenced the vote for my position in the Signoria, our government. Although in Florence, we have a republic, some families have great control over the decisions the guilds in our city make. Although my foe, Cosimo Medici, is the most powerful man in the city, I am still one with influence. He also created connections for me in Germany and in Venice, which is how I expanded the Sforza bank. We travel by boat, because most of the trade routes are fraught with thieves, and there are not many trade routes by land from Florence. My father also used his profits to support artists in Florence. Although taxes at times were high, we were always very comfortable.
Citizens, you ought to understand the key to business is people. You doth not want to make enemies. Always be courteous to strangers, because you never know when you might need something from them later in life. For example, I was in Venice with my father as a youth, and he was trading silk. A gentleman was looking the other way and ran into my father. My father, being the humble man he is, apologized and wished the man a nice day. It turned out that that was the man my father was trading silk with. The man ended up being very wealthy and my father was the only silk supplier for his family from then on. People always said he knew how to run a business very shrewdly. My father accumulated a large sum of money from silk trade, which was left in my name.
I know all of the citizens reading this may not be wealthy, but certainly if you learn to charm people, they will remember that. So by charming my way through Europe, I have offered to bank for people in exchange for protection, silks, and safe ships to transport money from my three branches. But how did I become the richest banker in Florence, you ask? I thought thine father was a merchant-thou are probably thinking. Well, I started out as a boy left with his father’s money and advice. I was a little lost in the world. I let my fathers’ silk business go to the dogs. I hath no one to turn to, and my money was running out. After this, I was sitting in a bar, and I ran into one of my father’s rich friends, Paolini, in the Signoria. He realized I hath acquired my father’s brains and decided to mentor me. I came with him to guild meetings, and governmental meetings. I became very close with him, but there was one thing he wasn’t telling me. I decided to figure it out.
One upon a time, he left me alone in his office, and I hath figured out where the key to his scrolls were. I opened it and figured out he and another man were making their way in the banking business. At this time, many merchants were trading Florins, as well as other products. Money hath becometh the most popular commodity. Along with finding out about the budding bank, I also found he hath no sons. I decided to murder him and take his money and start the bank. Over the next few weeks I snuck into his safe everyday to look at the list of his new clients, and then subtly befriended them at meetings. One night I paid a young boy to call Paulini’s doctor and say that Paulini was having a heart attack. Then I went upstairs while he was sleeping and broke his neck. I made sure the doctor never found out what hath really happened. Then I threw a lavish funeral for Paulini and invited all my connections. I also opened the bank on the same day. It worked out perfectly. So you see my friends, sometimes bloodshed is necessary.
Remember my loyal followers, keep mum about this while you are in Florence. I cannot let Paulini’s family get word of this bloody deed. Also, I am not an expert in murder and intrigue, or economy. This is just the way I became bloody rich, and it may work for you.
Anon,
Giovanni Sforza
I hath decided to write the story of mine success, and mayhap the poorer folk reading this can use some of my ideas to build thou fortune as well. Although, if thoust would like to overtake me, I hath ways of exterminating thee.
My source of wealth is the Sforza bank, with 3 locations in Europe. Florence, Venice, and Berlin. As a young child, I watched my father as a successful merchant. As thou economists might know, textiles are an emerging commodity where I come from. My father’s discovery of this helped him in his great success. He hath a way with people. He also created political connections and influenced the vote for my position in the Signoria, our government. Although in Florence, we have a republic, some families have great control over the decisions the guilds in our city make. Although my foe, Cosimo Medici, is the most powerful man in the city, I am still one with influence. He also created connections for me in Germany and in Venice, which is how I expanded the Sforza bank. We travel by boat, because most of the trade routes are fraught with thieves, and there are not many trade routes by land from Florence. My father also used his profits to support artists in Florence. Although taxes at times were high, we were always very comfortable.
Citizens, you ought to understand the key to business is people. You doth not want to make enemies. Always be courteous to strangers, because you never know when you might need something from them later in life. For example, I was in Venice with my father as a youth, and he was trading silk. A gentleman was looking the other way and ran into my father. My father, being the humble man he is, apologized and wished the man a nice day. It turned out that that was the man my father was trading silk with. The man ended up being very wealthy and my father was the only silk supplier for his family from then on. People always said he knew how to run a business very shrewdly. My father accumulated a large sum of money from silk trade, which was left in my name.
I know all of the citizens reading this may not be wealthy, but certainly if you learn to charm people, they will remember that. So by charming my way through Europe, I have offered to bank for people in exchange for protection, silks, and safe ships to transport money from my three branches. But how did I become the richest banker in Florence, you ask? I thought thine father was a merchant-thou are probably thinking. Well, I started out as a boy left with his father’s money and advice. I was a little lost in the world. I let my fathers’ silk business go to the dogs. I hath no one to turn to, and my money was running out. After this, I was sitting in a bar, and I ran into one of my father’s rich friends, Paolini, in the Signoria. He realized I hath acquired my father’s brains and decided to mentor me. I came with him to guild meetings, and governmental meetings. I became very close with him, but there was one thing he wasn’t telling me. I decided to figure it out.
One upon a time, he left me alone in his office, and I hath figured out where the key to his scrolls were. I opened it and figured out he and another man were making their way in the banking business. At this time, many merchants were trading Florins, as well as other products. Money hath becometh the most popular commodity. Along with finding out about the budding bank, I also found he hath no sons. I decided to murder him and take his money and start the bank. Over the next few weeks I snuck into his safe everyday to look at the list of his new clients, and then subtly befriended them at meetings. One night I paid a young boy to call Paulini’s doctor and say that Paulini was having a heart attack. Then I went upstairs while he was sleeping and broke his neck. I made sure the doctor never found out what hath really happened. Then I threw a lavish funeral for Paulini and invited all my connections. I also opened the bank on the same day. It worked out perfectly. So you see my friends, sometimes bloodshed is necessary.
Remember my loyal followers, keep mum about this while you are in Florence. I cannot let Paulini’s family get word of this bloody deed. Also, I am not an expert in murder and intrigue, or economy. This is just the way I became bloody rich, and it may work for you.
Anon,
Giovanni Sforza
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