George Peabody (/ˈpiːbədi/ PEE-bə-dee;[2] February 18, 1795 – November 4, 1869) was

an American-British financier widely regarded as the "father of modern philanthropy."

Born into a poor family in Massachusetts, Peabody went into business in dry goods and later in
banking. In 1837, he moved to London, then the capital of world finance, where he became the most
noted American banker and helped to establish the young country's international credit. Having no
son of his own to whom to pass on his business, Peabody took on Junius Spencer Morgan as a
partner in 1854, and their joint business would go on to become J.P. Morgan & Co. after Peabody's
1864 retirement.
In his old age, Peabody won worldwide acclaim for his philanthropy. He founded the Peabody
Trust in Britain and the Peabody Instituteand George Peabody Library in Baltimore, and was
responsible for many other charitable initiatives. For his generosity, he was awarded
the Congressional Gold Medal and made a Freeman of the City of London, among many other
honors.