A closer look
Before cryptocurrency scams, there was alchemy. Cash-strapped kings in the 16th century would eagerly hire smooth-talking mystics who swore they were just one bubbling flask away from infinite wealth. These alchemists would live in luxury at the castle, burning through ridiculous amounts of royal funding to buy weird ingredients like powdered skull and dragon's blood. When they inevitably failed to produce gold, they were usually thrown in a dungeon, but honestly, they enjoyed a great run first.
