Meet Timothy Dexter, the uneducated New England businessman who somehow became one of the richest men in early America… entirely by accident. Born in 1747 with no formal education, Dexter stumbled his way into fortune after fortune through a series of decisions that should have ruined him. He shipped warming pans to the Caribbean (and they sold out), sent coal to Newcastle (and made a profit), and wrote one of the most confusing books in American history—complete with an appendix of punctuation marks for readers to “sprinkle in wherever proper.”

In this episode, comedians Robert Bacon and Mike Kauffman dive into the absurd true story of the man who proved that sometimes being a complete idiot is the ultimate life hack. From faking his own funeral to building a garden filled with statues of famous men—and one of himself labeled “The Greatest Philosopher in the Western World”—Timothy Dexter lived like a man immune to failure and allergic to humility.It’s one of the strangest success stories ever told: part historical farce, part capitalist fever dream, and 100% Mistakes Were Made.

Story by: Zachary Crockett at priceonomics.com

Timothy Dexter was born in Malden, Mass., Jan. 22, 1747. From his birth, he fancied himself a legend -- he later wrote “I was to be one grat [sic] man,”


Keywords:
Timothy Dexter podcast, history of Timothy Dexter, weird history podcast, funniest historical figures, luckiest man in history, Mistakes Were Made podcast, comedy history podcast, American history weirdos, self-made millionaire history, dumb luck success stories, bizarre historical figures, failed geniuses, colonial America comedy.