Nicolas Fouquet was a French statesman born in 1615, best known for his role as the Superintendent of Finances under King Louis XIV. He was responsible for managing the kingdom's finances during a time of significant economic challenges and was known for his ambitious projects, including the construction of the lavish Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. Fouquet's extravagant lifestyle and the opulence of his château drew the envy of Louis XIV, leading to his arrest in 1661. He was imprisoned for over a decade, and his downfall marked a turning point in the king's reign, as it established a precedent for the absolute power of the monarchy in France.