Good consultants are never paid enough. A story about two leaders that had horrible lives because they picked the wrong people to guide them.

 

The history of 16th century Spain has been a passion of mine for over 50 years.  From 1516 until 1598 only two men ruled.

They both had a firehose of cash from Mexico (1521) and Peru (1534) and control of 40% of the rest of Europe.  But even with mountains of silver and gold in the new world, they generated more income from taxing the Netherlands.  The story of why has transfixed me.  I have over 1000 books on this subject.  I actually hired the head (J C Smit) of the history department of Columbia University to give me weekly 2 hour tutorials for over 5 years.  He even went to Europe for me twice to do special research on some compelling gouache masterpieces that I acquired from the Croy family. 

Crushing debt drove the first one, the father of the second one to quit in 1555.   Amazing that the most powerful man of the 16th century was exhausted by the Fugger family that lent him money.  He spent the last 3 years of his life at the Monastery of Yuste burned out with his sister who he forced to marry the 2nd most powerful man of this time when he captured him at the Battle of Pavia in 1525!!!!  Amazing.  Nothing relating to the United States is nearly as much fun to learn as this.

This story is proof that genius business advisors are never paid enough.   The two primary rulers of Spain in the 16th century were horribly abused by grossly incompetent, greedy, dishonest advisors.  

The best way to very quickly get some background would be to read the wikipedia pages for Charles V and Philip II of Spain.  But I have been reading about this for an hour a day for 50 years.  And everyday I learn something new!!!

Sadly for each of them they did not have gifted consultant to advise and guide them.  Charles first had an entitled crook, William of Croy, and then an aunt, Margaret of Austria, who died of a broken heart when she saw Charles allow his Imperial troops to sack Rome in 1527

The best part of all of this deeply entertaining history is that one can buy the masterpieces for far less than 1% of the corresponding American ones.  The best portrait of George Washington sold for $28,000,000 20 years ago.  I paid $100,000 for the best one of Margaret and $30,000 for William of Croy and $600,000 for Charles!!!!!  One's money goes a very long way for this Renaissance period.  It is vastly more interesting to me than four planters from Virginia who refused to pay taxes to George III and then refused to negotiate with his two illegitimate step brothers - the Howe brothers - that were in charge of the colonies for 7 years.  And those four planters became Presidents of the United States for 32 out of the first 40 years of our country's history.  WHY were they so intransient????  The underlying cause was their fury that they only received 25% of the actual proceeds of the tobacco that they sold to British traders.  

The pursuit of FREEDOM????  No way.  It was the pursuit of MONEY!!!  The father of our country simply didn't like being brutally short changed when he sold and paying 400% over retail when he bought finished goods.   I own the desk that he sat at when he met the Howe Brothers to negotiate in a house that I now own less than 3 miles from your wonderful home!!!

My passion for this history has now provided me with an unexpected. legitimate chance for a $250,000,000 windfall from a $3,000,000 investment made 20 years ago now that $20 trillion of oil has been discovered off the coast of Guiana and Suriname.  Would love to tell you about this on request.  I am looking for a partner with skills and patience to guide me. 

To be continued should you wish to learn more!  Also have 200 more trees to show you!!!  Thank God for this rainy Spring to make them so happy.