Camillo Castiglioni was an Italian-Austrian Jewish financier and banker, and was the wealthiest man in Central Europe during World War I Nicknamed "Austrian Stinnes", he was active in aviation's pioneering days and invested in the arts.
20 Facts About Camillo Castiglioni
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Camillo Castiglioni was born in Trieste, then part of Austria-Hungary, to the chief rabbi.
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Camillo Castiglioni's education was primarily law, gaining employment as an attorney and legal officer of a bank in Padua, quickly learning international finance and how to manage capital.
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Camillo Castiglioni was the son of a rubber maker, so naturally Camillo found work with the Austro-American Gummiwarenfabrik AG in Vienna as an agent for the Kaufmann automobile tire division in Constantinople.
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Camillo Castiglioni found great success in this position, demonstrating his abilities to negotiate and structure financial deals.
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Camillo Castiglioni was so successful, he was promoted to director of the export department of the parent company in Vienna.
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Around 1901, along with Viktor Silberer and Franz Hinterstoissera Camillo Castiglioni helped to create the Viennese aero club.
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Camillo Castiglioni eventually was made deputy director, then in 1904 he was appointed to general director of the company.
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Camillo Castiglioni met many influential men in his business, and came to realize that aviation sparked not only his passion for flight, but recognized the tremendous financial opportunity of aviation's potential as an industry.
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Camillo Castiglioni retired to Switzerland, then to Milan where he set up a private bank and amassed a considerable fortune.
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When Tito refused to pay his commission, Camillo Castiglioni succeeded in getting Yugoslavian assets in Italy worth millions sequestered.
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Camillo Castiglioni became rich in ventures during the period of inflation, acquiring a majority interest in Alpine Montan AG.
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Camillo Castiglioni significantly influenced the development of BMW AG in its early years.
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Camillo Castiglioni in turn renamed the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke to BMW AG and allowed the renamed company to continue production at the BFW plant.
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Camillo Castiglioni's was one of the voices that urged BMW in 1928 to purchase the Eisenach Automobilwerke.
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In February 1924, Camillo Castiglioni partnered with Fritz Mannheimer, and later other influential bankers to speculate on the devaluation of the French franc.
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In September 1924, the Austrian Depositenbank, of which Camillo Castiglioni had been president, collapsed.
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Camillo Castiglioni built up a large art collection and a theatre in Vienna.
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Camillo Castiglioni was the richest man in Central Europe and much beloved by the Viennese whom he assisted financially on Sundays and odd occasions.
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Camillo Castiglioni was a patron of the arts and for some time supported the famed producer Max Reinhardt, for whom he built a theater.