Haym Salomon

Haym Salomon (also Solomon; April 7, 1740 – January 6, 1785) was a Polish-born American merchant best known for his actions during the American Revolution, where he was the prime financier to the Continental Congress. Born in Leszno, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Salomon studied finance in Western Europe before emigrating to New York City in 1775. After the American Revolutionary War broke out in the same year, Salomon supported the Patriots by providing financial services while working alongside Robert Morris, the Superintendent of Finance of the United States, and risked his life as a member of the Sons of Liberty, leading to multiple arrests by the British for espionage.

He helped convert French loans into hard currency by selling bills of exchange on Morris' behalf, and also brokered large donations to the Patriot cause. This included a critical $20,000 loan in 1781 that enabled George Washington’s decisive Yorktown campaign, a turning point for American independence. From 1781 to 1784, Salomon helped provide over $650,000 ($14.8 million in 2024). He was also an advocate for religious liberty by co-founding Philadelphia’s Mikveh Israel synagogue and challenging discriminatory laws. Despite donating his entire fortune to the Continental Army and several Founding Fathers of the United States, Salomon died penniless in Philadelphia in 1785 due to the failure of government officials and private lenders to repay the debt they owed to him.