The life of John Law (1671–1729) is a rags-to-riches-to-rags story that is nearly beyond belief. Just as phantasmagorical was the backdrop of speculative and pandemic miasma woven into Law’s adventures. Just into his 20s, Law was bankrupt and imprisoned in a London jail, sentenced to death for killing a man in a duel over a woman. From these depths he became the richest person in Europe, outside of royalty.