Charles Xavier Thomas
Charles Xavier Thomas de Colmar was a French inventor and entrepreneur best known for designing, patenting, and manufacturing the first commercially successful mechanical calculator, known as the Arithmometer. Additionally, he founded the insurance companies Le Soleil and L'aigle, which, under his leadership, became the number one insurance group in France during the early years of the Second Empire.
Biography
Born Charles Xavier Thomas in Colmar, France, his father was a doctor and member of the town council. After a short employment in the French administration, Thomas joined the French army in 1809. By 1813, he had risen to the position of General Manager of the supply store for all the armies stationed in Spain. His responsibilities expanded further when he was appointed Inspector of Supply for the entire French army. It was during this period that he conceived the idea for the Arithmometer, recognizing the need for a tool to assist with the extensive calculations required for his duties.After returning to civilian life, in 1819, he co-founded the fire insurance company "Phoenix." However, he left quickly because of the lack of support for his new ideas from his partners and shareholders. Ten years later, in 1829, he started the fire insurance company "Le Soleil" that he grew by merger and acquisitions until his death. In 1843 he started another insurance company called "L'Aigle incendie." By combining the symbol of the Sun, representing the previous kings of France, with the Eagle, reminiscent of Napoleon, he appealed to a broad spectrum of customers in the politically divided 19th-century France. At the time of his death, the "Aigle - Soleil" group stood as the largest insurance entity in France, with him owning 81% of it. Eighty years later, in 1946, it underwent nationalization and eventually merged with "La National" in 1968 to form the GAN company, which remains operational to this day.