Achille Fould facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Achille Fould
Born	17 November 1800 Paris, France
Died	5 October 1867 Tarbes, France
Occupation	Financier, politician
Parent(s)	Beer Léon Fould

Achille Fould (born 17 November 1800 – died 5 October 1867) was an important French banker and politician. He played a big role in France's money matters during the 1800s.

Early Life and Family

Achille Fould was born in Paris, France, on 17 November 1800. His father, Beer Léon Fould, was a well-known Jewish banker. Achille grew up learning about finance and business from his family.

Starting a Career in Finance

Achille Fould began his career working at his family's bank. He was very good with money and numbers. In 1842, he decided to enter politics. He was chosen by the people to represent the Hautes-Pyrénées region in the French government.

From that time on, he was very involved in his country's affairs. When the Revolution of 1848 happened, he supported the new government. He even helped them with financial decisions. He also wrote two short books against using paper money, called Pas d'Assignats I and Observations sur la question financière.

A Key Politician

Achille Fould became a very important person when Louis Napoleon was president. He was chosen to be the Minister of Finance four times! This job meant he was in charge of all of France's money. He helped make many important changes to the country's economy.

Fould believed in strong, traditional money policies. He was not a fan of free trade, which means letting goods be bought and sold without many rules. He supported Louis Napoleon's rise to power and the creation of the new French Empire.

In 1852, he quit his job as Minister of Finance for a short time. This was because the government took away property from the Duke of Orléans family. But on the same day, he was made a senator. Soon after, he rejoined the government as the Minister of State. In this role, he helped organize the big Paris exhibition of 1855. This was a huge event that showed off new inventions and art from around the world.

He resigned again in 1860 but was called back to be Minister of Finance in 1861. During this time, he helped reduce France's debt. The country had spent a lot of money on the Mexican War. He managed to get a large loan of 300 million francs in 1863 to help with this. He stayed in this job until 1867.

Helping France Grow

In 1852, Achille Fould supported a plan to create a new bank called the Crédit Mobilier. This bank made it much easier to build new railways and harbors across France. These projects were very important for the country's growth and trade.

Besides his skills with money, Fould also loved art. He spent time traveling in Italy and other places to learn about fine arts. In 1857, he became a member of the Academy of the Fine Arts. This is a special group that celebrates art in France.

Personal Life

Achille Fould was born into a Jewish family. In 1858, he converted to Protestantism.

Death

Achille Fould passed away in Tarbes, France, on 5 October 1867. He is remembered as a key figure in French finance and politics during the 19th century.

See Also

In Spanish: Achille Fould para niños

• Fould family