Stephen Girard
Stephen Girard was a French-born American banker, philanthropist and slave owner. Born in Bordeaux, Girard subsequently immigrated to the Thirteen Colonies where he established himself in the American banking industry. During the War of 1812, Girard single-handedly saved the federal government of the United States from bankruptcy by personally financing the American war effort. Eventually accumulating a large estate which included a slave plantation in Louisiana, a 2007 article in Fortune Magazine estimated that he was the fourth-richest American in history. Having no children, Girard devoted much of his fortune to philanthropy, in particular the education and welfare of orphans, and his estate continues to fund philanthropic endeavors in the present day.
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