Jacques Necker

Jacques Necker (30 September 1732 – 9 April 1804) was a Swiss-born French banker, financier and politician, serving as the finance minister of Louis XVI during the lead-up to the French Revolution in 1789.

Biography
Necker was born in Switzerland, becoming an advocate of ideas. In 1776, Louis XVI appointed him Director General of the Treasury, then of Finance. Necker suggested to the King that France use loans to finance the support promised to the Patriots during the American Revolutionary War. However, Necker was forced to resign when France's debt grew too large.

In 1788, Necker was called back to resolve France's financial crisis, and the populace saw him as a voice of reason. It was Necker who adviced the King to summon the Estates-General of 1789. When this failed to solve the King's problems, Necker was dismissed on 11 July. This sparked rumors that the King intended to attack Paris or arrest the deputies of the Estates-General, and prompted Camille Desmoulins to start an uprising at the Palais-Royal, leading indirectly to the Storming of the Bastille.

Necker was recalled once more, before resigning on 3 September 1790. Intending to return to Switzerland, he had his servant leave stashes of his gold with men who would weaken the revolution and return a monarch to the throne. Notified that Necker was hiding something, the Assassin Arno Dorian stole the gold for his Brotherhood. He then used part of the stolen funds to buy Necker passage out of France. Necker thus retired to Switzerland, where he concentrated on writing works on finance and economy.

Reference

 * Assassin's Creed: Unity