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The debate wasn’t about survival, it was about return (and we mean financial return.)

On February 12, 1541, Santiago was founded as an economic node designed to support extraction, logistics, and control rather than cultural settlement. Operating under pooled risk and imperial authority, leaders like Pedro de Valdivia pursued asymmetric upside while accepting expected losses, with the Spanish Crown providing authority more than capital. The model reveals an early version of speculative expansion logic, where cities functioned as infrastructure for risk, coordination, and long-term extraction, a pattern that still shapes how high-risk ventures are justified today.

From bsnsHistory, the daily podcast about the moments when business quietly reshaped the world.

Written and hosted by Ron Trucks. Research and editing by Rodney Russ. Sound design by Angela Cahoy. Music by Cody Martin and Soundstripe.

For more daily business stories, visit www.bsnsDAILYpodcasts.com

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