Voltaire, the Entrepreneur
At the age of 76, Voltaire founded a successful watchmaking enterprise, demonstrating his entrepreneurial acumen despite being better known as a philosopher and playwright. His venture was part of a broader pattern of business activities, including prior investments and a silk manufacturing business. The enterprise emerged from a combination of political tensions, personal initiative, and economic opportunity near the French-Swiss border.
- ▪Voltaire earned an estimated half a million livres by exploiting a loophole in the state lottery system in 1729.
- ▪He previously established a silk business that included raising silkworms and producing silk stockings, showing an early interest in vertical integration.
- ▪After falling out of favor with the French court, Voltaire purchased an estate at Ferney and later supported displaced Genevan artisans, many of whom settled near his property.
- ▪He planned to develop the fishing village of Versoix into a trading port to reduce dependence on Geneva, but the French government withdrew financial support due to its own economic difficulties.
- ▪Voltaire's watchmaking business capitalized on the skills of Genevan craftsmen who had fled political unrest and settled in Ferney, turning a humanitarian effort into a commercial success.
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Voltaire, the EntrepreneurHow Voltaire, at the age of 76 created a successful watchmaking enterpriseIvo VelitchkovFeb 06, 202687ShareVoltaire is often listed among the leading Enlightenment thinkers, alongside Montesquieu and Locke. Or he is mentioned among famous playwrights, such as Molière and Racine. But it’s unlikely to see Voltaire listed among successful entrepreneurs.Yet at 76, he founded a startup and turned it into a successful international business.Link & Think is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.SubscribeBackgroundVoltaire wasn’t planning to start a business, nor did he need to. His interests were in writing, theatre, and political causes such as penal reform.
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