Gabriel Julien Ouvrard, a French financier, born near Clisson, Oct. 11, 1770, died in London in October, 1840. In 1797, being then a merchant at Nantes, he entered into a contract for supplying the French navy with provisions, by which he cleared more than 15,000,-000 francs; and he then became the head of a great banking company at Paris, called the negociants renins. This company, while holding heavy contracts for the army and navy, undertook also to discount for the government the obligations of the receivers general and the subsidy due from the Spanish government, and thus obtained almost entire control of the finances of the country, in which it was aided by Barbe-Marbois, the minister of finance, to whom it had advanced large sums. Afterward, there having been a failure of crops in Spain, Ouvrard undertook to supply the deficiency, and received permission to export several cargoes of grain from France. He also contracted to supply the Spanish army and navy, and advanced money for the necessities of the court.

In return he obtained (1805) the grant of a monopoly of trade with the Spanish colonies, including the right to import all the treasure brought thence to Europe. Seizure by British cruisers was avoided by connections which he formed with the house of Hope and other Dutch hankers established in England. The company had undertaken to discount the obligations of the receivers general at 6 per cent., while it was obliged to borrow at from 9 to 12 per cent. In October, 1805, the Spanish government, being heavily in its debt, suspended specie payments, thus preventing the company from meeting its obligations at home. It was saved from immediate bankruptcy by accommodations from Marbois and the bank of France. But in January, 1806, Napoleon compelled the company to give up all its assets, which fully liquidated its debts, amounting to about 140,-000,000 francs, dismissed Marbois, and placed Ouvrard in custody at Vincennes. But Ouvrard subsequently gained influence with Fouche, who in 1810 permitted him to leave Vincennes to settle up his affairs, and upon his own authority sent him to Amsterdam, charged with the offer of very advantageous terms to England. Napoleon, discovering this scheme, dismissed Fouche, and Ouvrard was rearrested, and imprisoned at Ste. Pélagie, where he remained till 181:3. In 1814, on the occupation of the allies, he contracted for the provisioning of their armies; and in 1817 the government adopted a financial system proposed by him, which proved successful.

Having contracted for supplying the French army sent to Spain in 1823, proceedings were commenced against him by the government for fraudulent dealings, and he was again confined at Ste. Pélagie; but by the intercession of Ferdinand VII. he was released at the end of five years without trial, and afterward lived in obscurity in London. He published several works on finance, and Mémoires (3 vols., 1820).