Jean-Baptiste Say

Jean-Baptiste Say was born 5 January 1767 in France and built his career arguing for competition, free trade, and unshackled business at a time when mercantilism still gripped much of Europe. He popularized what became Say's law - the law of markets - though scholars dispute whether he originated it. Beyond that doctrine, Say broke ground by studying entrepreneurship itself, framing entrepreneurs as organizers and leaders who drive economies forward. He helped develop the École spéciale de commerce et d'industrie, the first business school ever established. He died 15 November 1832, leaving a liberalism that treated markets as self-correcting machines.