The European aristocracy, also known as the "Black Aristocracy," has maintained its wealth and power for centuries despite numerous social and economic changes. A study by Apennine economists found that nearly 900 families who were wealthy in the 15th century are still wealthy today. These families have managed to preserve their fortunes through clever financial maneuvers, tax evasion, and collaboration with powerful regimes. They own significant portions of land, including a third of all British land, and have substantial influence over global politics and economies. The aristocracy's wealth is often hidden from public view, and they prefer to keep a low profile to avoid scrutiny. The video also touches on the aristocracy's historical involvement in the drug trade, colonialism, and other illicit activities, and suggests that their power is still felt today.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. A study by Apennine economists found that among the wealthiest taxpayers in Florence in 1427 and 2011, almost 900 names matched.
2. The Earls of Cawdor, mentioned by Shakespeare in Macbeth, still live in their ancestral castle today.
3. The German princes of Fürstenberg, dating back to the 13th century, still live in family residences, including castles and palaces.
4. The Schwarzenberg dynasty owns a dozen castles and palaces, including a huge palace in the center of Vienna.
5. A third of all British land is owned by the "black aristocracy".
6. The Duke of Westminster owns part of the famous areas of London, including Mayfair and Belgravia.
7. Earl Cadogan owns the central part of London, including Cadogan Square, part of Sloane Street, and King's Road.
8. Baroness Howard de Walden owns the prestigious London streets of Harley Street and Marylebone High Street.
9. European nobility rarely makes it onto Forbes lists because their wealth is often hidden from public view.
10. The British East India Company monopolized the production of opium in Bengal and sold it in China, turning entire generations of Chinese into opium addicts.
11. Every British monarch since 1729 has benefited from the drug trade.
12. The "Island Club", controlled by Prince Charles, includes 4,000 oligarchs from all countries of the Commonwealth of Nations.
13. 117 corporations headquartered in the City of London are included in the list of the 500 largest corporations in the world, and their owners and heads are mostly members of the House of Peers.
14. The founders of the private printing press, including the Warburgs, Morgans, Rockefellers, and Rothschilds, are either British peers or bankers of British peers.
15. The House of Peers in Britain is hereditary, and its members have the power to overturn the decisions of the lower House of Commons.
16. The grandfathers and great-grandfathers of today's Peers were often involved in professions such as racketeering, robbery, smuggling, and piracy.