Julius Caesar introduced a massive debt restructuring program that effectively banned creditors from charging exorbitant interest rates and stabilized the failing Roman economy in 49 BC.

A closer look

Julius Caesar introduced a massive debt restructuring program that effectively banned creditors from charging exorbitant interest rates and stabilized the failing Roman economy in 49 BC. At the time, wealthy patricians were crushing the plebeian working class with impossible debts, so Caesar boldly stepped in and forced property valuations back to pre-war levels while canceling massive amounts of outstanding interest. Naturally, the elite billionaire class of Rome was absolutely furious that their predatory lending practices were heavily curtailed, which ultimately played a massive role in their decision to violently stab him twenty-three times in the Senate. It serves as a fantastic historical reminder that aggressively regulating the financial elites usually has fatal consequences!