William Makepeace Thackeray

(1811 - 1863)

In 1832 William Makepeace Thackeray inherited his father’s £20,000 fortune, which allowed him to briefly dabble in law and painting before he lost all his money in games of chance and stock speculation. He then embarked on an industrious career as a professional journalist. By the late 1830s, he was contributing to various magazines under pseudonyms like Fitz-Boodle and the Fat Contributor. He achieved both literary and financial success after the serial publication of Vanity Fair in 1847–48.