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Picture this: April 26th, 1478. Florence Cathedral. Lorenzo de' Medici is attending Easter Mass when assassins strike. Knives flash. Blood splatters across marble floors. His brother falls dead. Lorenzo barely escapes with his life.

But here's what's fascinating about this moment—the assassins weren't just trying to kill two men. They were trying to destroy what might be the most successful investment empire in human history.

In this episode, I take you inside the original family office. We're going inside the Medici Method—how a wool merchant named Giovanni de' Medici built a real estate empire using strategies that work just as well in today's markets as they did 600 years ago.

What you'll discover:

• Why the Medici weren't just bankers—they were history's first international property empire builders
• How Giovanni used "information advantage + strategic asset accumulation" to create compounding wealth
• The revolutionary accounting system that gave them precision their competitors couldn't match
• Why Lorenzo survived financial collapse when other banking dynasties disappeared forever
• How strategic real estate ownership creates political influence (and more investment opportunities)
• The timeless lesson that saved the Medici: "You can't eat a stock certificate, but you can always collect rent on a building"

Modern applications for today's investors:

• Geographic diversification with local knowledge (not speculation)
• Why real estate isn't just about cash flow—it's about influence and optionality
• How cultural amenities and infrastructure improvements drive property values
• The difference between using leverage as a tool vs. a strategy
• Building systems that create generational wealth, not just annual returns

This isn't just a history lesson—it's a masterclass in building wealth that endures across centuries. From Renaissance Florence to modern America, the principles don't change. Real assets beat paper assets. Strategic positioning beats speculation. And long-term thinking beats short-term optimization.

The Medici figured this out 600 years ago. Their methods are just as relevant today.

If you're serious about building real wealth, this episode will change how you think about real estate investing forever.

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Get your own copy of Timeless Wealth: Real Estate Through the Ages.

If you want to learn about new investment opportunities through Lombard Equities Group (accredited investors only), please reach out here.

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When empires face their greatest test, they need leaders willing to be hated for doing what's right.

In 1979, America stood at the crossroads every dying empire faces: destroy the economy to save the currency, or destroy the currency to save the economy. Nixon had already chosen poorly in 1971. By 1979, 13% inflation was bleeding American credibility worldwide.

Enter Paul Volcker—6'7" of unelected, unaccountable monetary discipline.

In this episode, we explore how one man's willingness to inflict maximum pain on the present preserved the American empire for another generation. From Carter's "malaise" to the Saturday Night Massacre that sent Fed funds to 20%, this is the story of leadership when democracy fails.

What You'll Learn:

• Why Nixon really closed the gold window (hint: Vietnam + welfare state)
• How Volcker became America's monetary dictator—and why it worked
• The ancient Roman concept of emergency leadership that saved republics
• The "Volcker Test" for your investment portfolio
• Why we probably won't get another Volcker (and what that means for your wealth)

From wooden planks mailed in protest to the longest peacetime expansion in history—this is empire preservation in real time.

Perfect for: Real estate investors, students of monetary history, and anyone wondering if democracies can still make hard choices.

Key Question: Do empires need philosopher-kings to survive? And what happens when they can't find them?

Resources Mentioned:

• Charles de Gaulle's "exorbitant privilege" critique
• Carter's July 1979 "malaise" speech
• Vietnam War financing and the gold standard
• Roman concept of emergency dictators

#TimelessInvestor #PaulVolcker #MonetaryPolicy #EmpireHistory #RealEstateInvesting #FederalReserve #InflationHistory

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The year is 53 BC. In a Parthian tent, molten gold burns down the throat of Rome's richest man. Marcus Crassus - worth $2+ billion in today's money - dies choking on the very metal that made him famous.

But how did a man who lost everything in Rome's civil wars become the ancient world's greatest real estate mogul? And what can his strategies teach modern investors about building generational wealth?

In this episode, I dive deep into Crassus's playbook:

• How he turned political chaos into real estate gold during Sulla's proscriptions
• The legendary fire brigade business model that built his empire
• Why he focused on cash flow over appreciation (sound familiar?)
• The fatal mistake that destroyed everything he'd built

You'll learn timeless principles that still work today: buying from motivated sellers, vertical integration, patient capital, and why staying in your lane matters more than chasing headlines.

This isn't just ancient history - it's a masterclass in real estate investing from the man who owned 1/3 of Rome.

Perfect for real estate investors, entrepreneurs, and anyone who believes that understanding the past is the key to building the future.

Subscribe to the Timeless Investor Newsletter for our long-form content.

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If you want to learn about new investment opportunities through Lombard Equities Group (accredited investors only), please reach out here.

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What if one strategic decision in 1677 could create $15 billion in wealth that lasts 345 years?

In this episode, Arie tells the incredible story of the Grosvenor family - the British dynasty that survived the Great Fire of London, two World Wars, multiple market crashes, and Brexit while building one of the world's largest real estate empires.

It all started with Thomas Grosvenor's marriage to 12-year-old Mary Davies and her "worthless" 500 acres of London swampland. While everyone else saw marshes, Thomas saw the future of London. His decision to hold instead of flip created a dynasty that still owns Mayfair and Belgravia today.

In This Episode, You'll Discover:

• The 99-year lease strategy that generated 300+ years of passive income
• Why the Grosvenors NEVER sell their core assets (and how this applies to your portfolio)
• How they survived German bombs, death taxes, and economic crashes
• The 6 timeless principles that built their $15 billion empire
• Why focusing on tenant quality beats chasing maximum rents
• How to think like a dynasty builder instead of a property trader

Key Takeaways:

• Location timing: Buy in the path of progress, then wait for progress to come to you
• Never sell core assets - the Grosvenors haven't sold a London property in 345 years
• Income first, appreciation second - those 1720s ground rents still pay today
• Quality tenants create quality assets
• Think in decades, not years
• Geographic diversification with strategic consistency

Whether you're buying your first duplex or building a multi-million dollar portfolio, the Grosvenor principles of patient capital and generational thinking will change how you approach real estate investing.

Plus: Arie shares personal stories about chasing maximum rents vs. tenant quality, raising kids to preserve wealth, and why time is your greatest investment asset.

Think well, act wisely, and build something timeless.

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If you want to learn about new investment opportunities through Lombard Equities Group (accredited investors only), please reach out here.

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When Julius Caesar set out to conquer Gaul, he didn’t rely on raw force or divine luck. He relied on systems. Strategy. Discipline. And an unshakable understanding of how empires are actually built — and lost.

In this first installment of Letters from Gaul, I explore five timeless laws Caesar deployed in the field — and how they map directly to investing, operations, and capital stewardship in today’s world.

We talk:

• Why Caesar always built the fort first — and why most investors don’t
• How local terrain always beats central planning
• Why logistics, not genius, win wars (and deals)
• How to stretch your time horizon without losing conviction
• And why the edge of empire is always more fragile than it looks

This episode isn’t about history for history’s sake.

It’s about mastering the timeless mechanics of risk, power, and execution — the kind that don’t change, even 2,000 years later.

Subscribe to the Timeless Investor Newsletter for our long-form content.

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If you want to learn about new investment opportunities through Lombard Equities Group (accredited investors only), please reach out here.

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What’s the difference between conviction and certainty?

In this episode, Arie van Gemeren — fund manager, real estate investor, and author of Timeless Wealth — unpacks one of the most overlooked distinctions in investing and decision-making.

Certainty can blind you. It locks you into narratives, filters out risk, and creates fragility.

But conviction? Conviction is different. It’s not about being right — it’s about building a process you trust, having the courage to act, and the humility to adapt when the facts change.

Drawing on insights from Daniel Kahneman, Nassim Taleb, and Philip Tetlock — plus real-world investing stories from the 2020–2023 real estate cycle — Arie explores why the most successful investors aren’t the ones who are sure, but the ones who are prepared.

If you’re an operator, LP, capital allocator, or just someone trying to make smarter decisions under uncertainty — this is the episode for you.

Articles referenced in this podcast:

The Overconfidence Bias

Alpha & Beta In Real Estate Investing

Subscribe to the Timeless Investor Newsletter for our long-form content.

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If you want to learn about new investment opportunities through Lombard Equities Group (accredited investors only), please reach out here.

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What do Rome, Spain, and Britain have in common?

They each ruled the world — and then quietly collapsed from within.

In this episode of The Timeless Investor Show, we explore how three of history’s greatest empires fell — not from outside invasion, but from internal decay. From currency debasement and over-financialization to the erosion of civic discipline, the warning signs were always there.

More importantly, we connect these patterns to the modern world — and what today’s investors can learn about resilience, scarcity, and how to protect wealth when the system itself starts to rot.

If you’re an investor, a builder, or just someone trying to understand where this all leads… this one’s for you.

Articles referenced in the show:

How British Empire Financialized the World

The Golden Era of Money

The Empire that Lasted 1000 Years

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If you want to learn about new investment opportunities through Lombard Equities Group (accredited investors only), please reach out here.

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What if the most decisive moment of the Napoleonic Wars didn’t happen on the battlefield — but on the bond desk?

In this episode of The Timeless Investor Show, Arie van Gemeren unpacks one of the most legendary (and controversial) financial trades in history: Nathan Rothschild’s alleged bond market coup during the Battle of Waterloo.

We explore:

• How the Rothschild network outpaced governments with faster intelligence

• Why market psychology is the ultimate weapon in financial warfare

• How this moment marked the shift from military to monetary dominance

• And what this all reveals about the financialization of empires — from the 1800s to today

This is more than a story about the past. It’s a blueprint for how modern power works.

This story is often repeated in financial lore — sometimes exaggerated or apocryphal — and should be understood in the context of broader shifts in capital, not ethnicity or identity.

📰 Read the companion essay and subscribe to The Timeless Investor Substack:

👉 https://lombardequities.substack.com

🎧 Subscribe, share, and leave a review if this episode sharpened your lens.

Act well. Think wisely. Build something Timeless.

Subscribe to the Timeless Investor Newsletter for our long-form content.

Follow the Timeless Investor Show if you want to hear more of our podcast content.

Get your own copy of Timeless Wealth: Real Estate Through the Ages.

If you want to learn about new investment opportunities through Lombard Equities Group (accredited investors only), please reach out here.

Think Well. Act Wisely. Build Something Timeless.