Antoine Crozat

Antoine Crozat (ca. 1655-1738) was a French noble born into a wealthy banking family in Toulouse, France. In 1712, he was granted a 15-year monopoly on trade in French Louisiana, but the arrangement proved disastrous for France. He relinquished the patent in 1717.

Portrait of Antoine Crozat, French financier who held Louisiana territory
Portrait of Antoine Crozat, French financier who held Louisiana territory