Richard Cantillon, 1680 -1734. Richard Cantillon, acknowledged by many historians as the first great economic theorist , is an obscure character. This much is known: he was an Irishman with a Spanish name who lived in France and reputedly made a fortune of some twenty million livres under John Law's schemes before moving to England. He died in a fire in his London home - allegedly set by his ...

Cantillon, R (1680-1734.5.15) Birthplace Ireland ( ) Posts Held Banker. Publications Books: 1. Essay on the Nature of Commerce (1755, 1959). Career Little definite is known about Cantillon except that he was Irish and turned briefly from a successful banking career, mainly in France, to write one of the most outstanding works in the history of the subject - the Essay .... This was circulated in ...