The Bardi & Peruzzi Crisis: A 600-Year-Old Warning for Modern Funds

What can a 14th-century financial ruin teach a 21st-century fund manager?In this episode, we take a deep dive into the 1345 collapse of the Bardi and Peruzzi banking houses—the dominant financial titans of the medieval world. When King Edward III defaulted on a massive debt to fund the 100 Years' War, he triggered a contagion that reshaped the global economy.We explore why these sophisticated families fell into the "sunk cost" trap and why their failure to manage concentration risk is a pattern we see repeating in today's markets.In this episode, you’ll learn:The Mechanics of the Fall: How 1.5 million gold florins brought down an empire.Sovereign Risk: The danger of lending to "the ultimate power."The Medici Pivot: The structural legal innovation that allowed the next generation of bankers to survive systemic shocks.Modern Application: Why these 600-year-old lessons are vital for real estate and private equity firewalls in 2026.Building something timeless requires understanding the structural errors of the past. Join us as we break down the history of risk.