Explanation: Julius Caesar, of conqueror and dictator fame, had his early career kickstarted by a number of hefty loans he took out -several from Marcus Licinius Crassus, the richest man in Rome at the time. Crassus made a habit of funding up-and-coming politicians so that they’d ‘owe’ him in a more-than-monetary sense in the future. The investment paid off when Caesar’s career began to bloom, and Caesar became the main mediator in the triumvirate - the rule of three men - between Crassus and his old rival Pompey, effectively splitting the rule of the republic between them by backroom political alliances.

Without that initial boost, our dear Caesar may not have ever managed the fantastic successes that he did have. Money makes the Late Republic go 'round…