| Whether in business, warfare or affairs of the heart | | | | of the loser's defeat would be invaluable in financially |
| knowledge, the more the better, is often the most | | | | manipulating markets to profit from the result. The |
| crucial element in determining event outcomes. The | | | | family had invested heavily over the decades in field |
| ability to know what the competition for a business | | | | agents that forwarded tips and messages, fast |
| deal is strategizing is potentially game changing. A | | | | packet ships and trained carrier pigeons to speedily |
| General upon learning details of a rivals battle plan | | | | deliver notes. |
| gains immense advantages in plotting | | | | The arrival of the carrier pigeons in London with |
| counter-strategy. Knowledge is often not quantifiable, | | | | specific battle results from Waterloo provided |
| but it is invaluable. | | | | Rothschild the information he needed to begin to |
| One of the most famous and consequential uses of | | | | plant rumors. Initially he spread the word that the |
| real time knowledge occurred in Europe in 1815. Early | | | | British had lost. Investors began to adjust their bond |
| in the 19th century information obtainable through | | | | and security positions in reaction to this negative |
| communication channels about distant events was | | | | news. Rothschild took opposite positions, and then, |
| painstakingly slow to arrive. Roads were rough, | | | | he strategically released the actual truthful news that |
| unfinished, really little more than cart paths. There | | | | Wellington had vanquished Napoleon. This enabled the |
| was no wire transmission or speedy organized courier | | | | family to profit on both sides of the trades. It is |
| services for delivering messages over vast distances. | | | | estimated that the Rothschild family extrapolated an |
| Word of the outcome of a battle, treaty or an | | | | increase in wealth of 20 times their pre-war capital. |
| important political affair could takes weeks or months | | | | The foresight to train a winged air force of carrier |
| to arrive where the result was most keenly | | | | pigeons proved fortuitous and extremely profitable |
| anticipated. | | | | for the banking house of Rothschild. The edge they |
| The Battle of Waterloo is possibly the most famous | | | | enjoyed in receiving real-time information, and |
| military engagement in history. The battle site, the | | | | spectacularly profiting from the knowledge, became |
| tiny, remote Belgian village of Waterloo, is | | | | legendary and only increased the perception that |
| synonymous today with one's "final act". Waterloo | | | | they were a family of financial Merlin's. Their power |
| became Napoleon Bonaparte's denouement. His | | | | and wealth has multiplied exponentially in the past 200 |
| inglorious defeat by the British forces, commanded | | | | years and has been maintained to this very day. |
| by the Duke of Wellington, expedited his exile to the | | | | In modern business and finance, the ability to glean |
| tiny island of Elba and the decline of France as a | | | | information about competitor's plans, information that |
| military power for almost a century. | | | | will affect asset valuations and marketing strategies |
| Prussian, Austrian and Russian armies had allied to | | | | is invaluable. Governments spend billions of dollars |
| fight with the British against Napoleon. All of these | | | | trying to steal state and commercial secrets. Private |
| great armies, moving across vast swaths of Europe | | | | investigators are used every day to scope out the |
| terrain needed extensive provisioning, arming and | | | | fidelity and affairs of married spouses. Information is |
| logistic support to maintain troops as they girded for | | | | power. |
| the great battle. This was an incredibly expensive | | | | Entrepreneurs can learn an important lesson from this |
| enterprise. Massive funding was required to support | | | | chronicle about the Rothschild's use of carrier pigeons. |
| the campaign. | | | | If your project has true commercial value it must be |
| The Rothschild banking family was already famous | | | | protected. You must assume that there are people |
| across most of Europe for providing a secure funding | | | | working at the same time on a similar opportunity. |
| source for national governments. The Rothschild's had | | | | Time is not your friend. |
| established five branches of their enterprise. The | | | | Whether you can uncover a competitor's plan or an |
| largest, most important were based in Paris and | | | | adversary learns your project's details, the first |
| London. The final Napoleonic war was largely funded | | | | owner of knowledge stands to maximize profit. |
| by Nathan Rothschild of the family's London branch. | | | | Placing second in this process is a sure path to losing |
| This house had provided large sums to both the | | | | the crucial first to market product advantage. The |
| British and the French. The Rothschild's were | | | | Rothschild's earned fabulous riches from simply |
| famously indifferent to rulers and governments. | | | | learning the outcome of a battle before competitors. |
| Nathan Rothschild once famously remarked, "The | | | | In order for entrepreneur's to successfully profit |
| man who controls the British money supply controls | | | | from their efforts they must harvest every bit of |
| the British, and I control the British money supply". His | | | | relevant and available knowledge as quickly as |
| goal was to profit no matter whom was in power or | | | | possible. |
| won a war. | | | | Knowledge is invaluable, but it must be secured and |
| Nathan Rothschild knew that early knowledge of the | | | | utilized with diligence and due haste. |
| winner at Waterloo, details of the battle, the severity | | | | |