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The Richest Businessman on Earth in the 1600s Was an Indian Merchant
He might have invested a bit too much into the British East India Company
The records of the British East India Company say that at the time of arrival of European colonial powers in India, a merchant there was already the richest in the world.
His name was Virji Vora. A British record from 1643 describes him as the sole monopolizer over European commodities in India.
By 1669, he was the biggest creditor of the British and Dutch East India companies.
And by 1670, he had enough influence to stop French ships from landing in India due to the debts they owed him.
Unfortunately, we do not have any biography detailing how he became such a gigantically influential figure. Records indicate he was from the Jain community of the coastal and central region of Surat, Gujarat.
The Jains follow the scrupulously non-violent teachings of their ancient teacher Mahavira (whose name means “great hero”) who was a contemporary of the Buddha.
Thinking always about interdependence and cooperation, Jains have been notoriously successful as traders and financiers, often merging their Dharma teachings with ethical business practices.
