The son of a naval captain, Stephen Girard was born in Bordeaux, France in 1750 and went to sea at an early age. He settled in Philadelphia in 1776, where he set himself up as a merchant. Girard racked up an immense fortune importing and exporting goods in the bustling city, and became the richest private individual in the world by 1810.
In 1811, Girard set up his very own bank, which provided the primary source of credit for the US government during the War of 1812. By the time of his death in 1831, the philanthropic financier's fortune was estimated at $7.5 million, the equivalent of $260 million (£200m) in today's money. He gave almost his entire fortune to charity, including orphanages, libraries and schools in Philadelphia and New Orleans.