Rich geniuses tend to be eccentric for a reason. Once you get wealthy enough, you realize that society's rules don't apply to you anymore. Few people knew this better than the amazingly crazy and stupidly rich 16th-century astronomer Tycho Brahe. He may not have created the eccentric genius archetype as we know it today, but he sure as hell perfected it.
Every Aspect Of This Guy's Story Is Bizarre
Tycho Brahe's life got weird fast. He was born into Danish nobility in 1546, running around a castle with 11 other kids. That is, until his uncle kidnapped him. The crazy part? Brahe's dad didn't really seem to care too much. There seems to have been no real struggle to keep Brahe in the family castle. Things only got more surreal from there.
You ever have one of those nights when you're looking up at the stars and a feeling crystallizes, and suddenly you just know your life's purpose is to have your nose chopped off and own a pet elk one day? No? Well, that's what stargazing did for young Tycho. After witnessing a solar eclipse in 1560, he was completely enraptured by the stars. He purchased any instruments that would allow him to better study the heavens, and soon he was making legitimate discoveries.
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