4. Ho-Shen (1750-1799)

Occupation: Chinese emperor’s right-hand man

Source of wealth: Graft, kickbacks

Assets: Gold, silver, furs

Claim to fame: So greedy he stole food from soldiers

Handsome, witty, self-confident and incredibly corrupt, Ho-Shen entered the court of Emperor Kao-tsung in 1772 as a bodyguard but quickly became the aging emperor’s confidante. He strengthened those ties by marrying the emperor’s youngest and favorite daughter, giving Ho-Shen the power to make or break other officials. Because nobody dared to refuse his demands or bring charges against him, he became fabulously wealthy. Serving as customs superintendent, Ho-Shen had easy access to luxury goods; he also persuaded the increasingly senile emperor to prolong a bloody military campaign, pocketing vast sums allocated to the army while the soldiers starved. When the emperor died in 1799, his heir immediately arrested Ho-Shen and confiscated his silver, gold and precious stones. Ho-Shen, who died in prison, had at least 60 million ounces of silver, 70,000 furs and a gold table service of 4,288 pieces.

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