Download or read book Grand Fortunes written by Michel Pinçon and published by Algora Publishing. This book was released on 1999 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Going back for generations, the fortunes of great families consist of far more than money; they are also symbols of culture and social interaction. They are at the heart of dense family and extra-family networks, of international coalitions and divisions. The authors elucidate the mechanisms by which they accumulate and expand their wealth, status and influence even while staying out of the public eye. Paradoxically there is a quasi-collective nature to these private fortunes, as families enjoy sojourns at each other's estates, help each other weather difficult times and intermarry.