100 Entrepreneurs Who Changed The World
76. Pope Sixtus IV (1414-1484)
Pope Sixtus IV may be one of the controversial men on this list. While some may view his actions as low, there is no arguing its brilliance or effectiveness. Sixtus was the first Pope to really monetize sin in the Catholic Church and expand it to a whole new market: the dead. The church had already long engaged in the selling of indulgences, monetary contributions which were meant to absolve you of sin. SIxtus opened up the market of indulgences to the dead, allowing relatives of the departed to literally purchase their loved one’s passage to heaven. Relatives flocked the churches to buy their loved ones’ way out of purgatory. In 1478, Sixtus authorized the Spanish Inquisition, causing more than 100,000 to join the ranks of those in purgatory over fifteen years. 100,000 more souls with families to pay for indulgences. He was also the first pontiff to license Brothels, bringing even more money into the church.
