Warren Buffett and Bill Gates have nothing on Jacob Fugger, a German financier during the Renaissance who monopolized the silver business, became the banker of kings, convinced the papacy to legalize moneylending and paved the way for today's bond market.
At the height of his career in the 16th century, Fugger (rhymes with "cougar") accumulated a fortune amounting to a significant portion of Europe's economic activity. And, yet, few people have ever heard of him.