George Walton Williams, a gun runner in the 1860s, became the richest man in Charleston not because he got richer but because he accepted payment only in gold and silver (not dollars or Confederate dollars), and so when the Confederacy collapsed and currency failed, his wealth in precious metals preserved his purchasing power while everyone else's nominal wealth was destroyed.
factualpending
Speaker
Grant WilliamsEvidence Quote
“he would only accept payment in gold and silver coins... George Walton Williams became the richest man in Charleston... He wasn't any richer after the end of the Civil War than he was before it. Everybody else got poor.”
Source
Grant Williams: Massive Once-In-A-Century Change Is Underway. Don't Be Blind To It!— Adam Taggart | Thoughtful Money®Created: 8/11/2026, 7:43:08 AM
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