Hello Monaco magazine Winter 2018 - issue HM02 | Page 70
History pages
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favourite with the rich and famous from
Mar ie Blanc f inanced f rom her own
the continent. Francois Blanc was soon
nicknamed «The Wizard of Homburg».
savings the refurbishment of those famous
The brothers introduced Homburg to the
cellars which today are a true token of the
game of roulette. Dostoevsky himself was
a regular visitor to their gambling houses
Hotel de Paris.
for almost 10 years.
This is where François first met charming
young Madeleine-Victoire Huguelin from
Alsace. They never got married, but two children were born from
With time, as Homburg got over its debts and set out on a constant
their union, Camille Blanc in 1847 and Karl Blanc in 1848. But a
path to prosperity, the government in Frankfurt turned against
number of misfortunes were awaiting François Blanc later on. His
gambling, making François go bankrupt again. But as he never gave
beloved prematurely died in 1852 and his brother Louis passed
up, the businessman continued to devise new ways of accumulating
away that same year after a long illness.
wealth and prosperity.
M
adeleine-Victoria Gugelin was not the only woman,
however, who played an important role in François
Blanc’s life. Marie Charlotte Hansel later came to help
François look after his household after the death of his beloved.
With time, François grew fond of Marie and her amazing lively
character. Since Marie was yet so young, François offered her a
deal — he would improve her family’s living conditions, give her
a good education and when she came of age, they would marry.
In 1854, when Mary turned 21, the couple wed in Paris. Two more
children Edmond and Marie-Felix were born from that marriage.
François Blanc died in
Switzerland in 1877, leaving
behind a fortune of 72 million
francs, now equivalent to about
450 million euros.
68 / Hello Monaco – Winter 2018
H
omburg could only attract visitors over the summer
season. In winter, its elite clientele preferred the moderate
climate of the Riviera, suggesting to François Blanc the
idea that it could be an ideal place for accomodating tourists all
year round. He also learnt that the Prince of Monaco had recently
legalized gambling in the Principality having seen its great success
with the rich clients in Homburg. François Blanc thus set off to
Monaco, putting all his fortune into the acquisition of the SBM
company, for a huge price of 2,290,000 francs. He also invested
much capital into the country, sponsoring new roads and railways.
Thanks to his talent and rich experience in Homburg, François made
Monaco a new fashionable destination for tourism and gambling.
The Prince of Monaco, Charles III, gave Blanc quite a lot of freedom
in his business. He therefore invested even more capital into the
country that provided multiple returns on his investment.
«T
he Wizard of Homburg» thus became «The Wizard
of Monte-Carlo». With the arrival of François Blanc,
the money problems for the princely government
were long forgotten and became history. In the first years of SBM
managed by François Blanc, more than 30,000 visitors came to
see Monaco. Many of them were Homburg residents curious to
discover the new «nest» now open in Monaco. Generous visitors
were spending their money easily. In the first few years, Blanc’s
income reached 640.000 francs. This was not enough, however,
as he reinvested five times more on building more gambling
establishments and developing business in the Principality.