After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, the Rothschild family received the news – before the British government! They purchased British government bonds, and when news of the victory arrived, prices rose, making the Rothschild family even wealthier. At the core of the family's success was the foresight of Mayer Rothschild, which led him to conclude a partnership agreement with his sons at an early date.
This agreement was aimed at ensuring a strong family-owned business based on the father's solid reputation as a businessman. The family was to benefit from the reputation that Mayer Rothschild had built up. Furthermore, Mayer and his sons were to share the profits from the business empire, which meant that they took an interest in each other's affairs and the partnership as such.