Jakob Fugger (1459-1525) was one of Renaissance Europe's wealthiest citizens. His influence in royal circles continued to alter the continent's history for decades after his death. Though he was not the founder of the German mercantile and banking dynasty that bore his name, Fugger enriched it exponentially by entering into lucrative financial contracts with the Holy Roman Empire that gave him landholdings as well as profitable concessions in mining and trade.

At the time of Fugger's birth on March 6, 1459, his family was already one of the most prominent in Augsburg, Bavaria's leading city before its eclipse by Munich. Fugger's grandfather Hans had relocated from Swabia around 1367; he married well and rose to prominence in the city's weavers' guild. His textile and import business grew in profit, and established connections in Venice. Hans's two sons, Andreas and Jakob I, continued the business until disagreements forced dissolution of the partnership...