Portrayed by actress Romy Schneider in the film La Banquière, Marthe Hanau has gradually fallen into oblivion. Which is a shame : her story deserves to be remembered ! Born in 1886 in Paris, she became one of the rare businesswomen working in finance at the turn of the 20th century. It must be said that ever since her adolescence, Marthe was determined to lead the life she wanted, despite her parents' authority...

Born in Stockholm in 1817 into a modest family, Aurora Florentina Magnusson had an early desire to rise above her social standing. In the 1830s, she worked as a domestic servant. In 1838, while working for a wealthy family, she befriended the daughter of the house. The young woman became her companion and accomplice. Indeed, in the 1840s the two young women lived together and traveled between Sweden and Finland. During this period, Aurora changed her identity, becoming Helga de la Brache. In 1860, the friends returned to Stockholm and launched the swindle that would establish Helga's legend.

Little known to the general public, this Kazakh businessman has nevertheless committed dantesque frauds. First a politician in Kazakhstan, Mukhtar Ablyazov was convicted in 1999 for abuse of power, embezzlement, tax evasion and fraud during his term as Minister of Energy. In 2002, as chairman of the supervisory board of a public company, he was charged with abuse of power by the financial police.