The Economist Cover Unveiled: Long line of Bankers that founded @Ripple
In my previous thread we learned that @Ripple's history began way before #Bitcoin, in fact Ryan Fugger founded Ripple Pay in 2004, which owns the trademark ''Ripple Communications'' traced to 1991, with Ryan Fugger being a member. (For more insights on @Ripple's origins tied to the INSA, check my highlights).
Ryan Fugger descends from a long lime of Bankers, the Fugger family controlled much of the European economy in the sixteenth century and accumulated enormous wealth. Jakob Fugger was known as ''The Richest Man Who Ever Lived''.
Jakob Fugger "the Rich" was elevated to the nobility of the Holy Roman Empire in May 1511 and assumed the title Imperial Count of Kirchberg and Weissenhorn in 1514.
From the 13th to the 16th centuries, the merchant banks of the Fugger family had branches located throughout Europe, to finance foreign trade.
In 1487 The Fuggers a German banking dynasty make their first loan to the Archduke of Habsburg, taking as security an interest in silver and copper mines in the Tirol. This was the beginning of an extensive family involvement in mining and precious metals.
The development of banking spread from northern Italy throughout the Holy Roman Empire, and in the 16th century the position of the Medicis was eventually taken over by the Fuggers.
In the 19th century, NMBs were associated with the colonial powers, including Britain and, later on, Belgium, Germany and Japan. The well known colonial MNBs include the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), Founded in 1865 by business interests in Hong Kong Specializing in the China Trade.
Today the Fugger families had branches located throughout Europe. They also control Multinational Banks (MNBs) including the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC).
Well, you might be thinking but what Fugger Family and $XRP has to to with the Economist cover magazine from 1988, that had a ''phoenix'' alluding to a World Currency?
The Fugger family also minted their own circulating currency and called it #ducats. The coins minted by The Fugger Family contained a PHOENIX right in the center and a ''fleur de lis''.
The coat of arms of the Fugger's family is the ''fleur de lis'', that happens to be the crown on top of the Phoenix in the Economist magazine Cover from 1988.
It does not get more clear than that: Ryan Fugger shares his ancient banking family influence with the Blockchain.
