James Fisk (Entrepreneur)
James Fisk , called Big Jim , (born April 1, 1834 in Bennington , Vermont , † January 6, 1872 in New York , NY ) was an American entrepreneur and speculator .
CV and activities
After a short school career, Fisk joined a circus , later became a hotel waiter and peddled like his father. Eventually he took a job as a salesman at a Boston textile company. His talent and diligence soon earned him a share of the business. This, and the smuggling of cotton he did during the Civil War , made Fisk a considerable fortune. But his speculations soon drove him to his fortune.
In 1864, Fisk became a stockbroker in New York and partnered with Daniel Drew , whom he helped in the fight against Cornelius Vanderbilt . Through Drew he joined the board of directors of the Erie Railroad with Jay Gould .
Together with Gould he tricked his partner Drew a little later and thus gained control of the Erie Railroad. Fisk and Gould engaged in stock exchange piracy, bribery of high-ranking politicians (like Boss Tweed ) and the courts. However, their attempt to buy up the gold market was thwarted by the fatal Black Friday in 1869 .
An argument with Edward S. Stokes over money and Fisk's perennial lover, Josie Mansfield, Broadway showgirl, ended tragically. Stokes shot Big Jim Fisk on January 6, 1872 in New York.
Victoria Woodhull was also involved in the conflict .
literature
- Lorenz Brentano : The Prince of Erie . In: The Gazebo . Issue 8, 1872, pp. 124–126 ( full text [ Wikisource ]).
- HW Brands : The Murder of Jim Fisk for the Love of Josie Mansfield . American Portrait Series, 2011, ISBN 978-0-307-74325-1 .
Web links
- Nikolaus Piper: Vulgar, devious and very wealthy. In: SZ series: The great speculators (18). sueddeutsche.de , May 20, 2008, accessed on October 3, 2010 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Fisk, James |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Big Jim |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American entrepreneur |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 1, 1834 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bennington (Vermont) , Vermont |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 6, 1872 |
| Place of death | New York City , New York |