Johann Fust

When Gutenberg left Strasbourg for Metz is not known, but he was in the latter city in 1448, as is testified by a deed relating to a loan which he had raised.

His constant pecuniary difficulties resulted in his entering into partnership, in 1450, with the goldsmith Johann Fust, or Faust, a rich burgher of Metz, who contributed large loans towards the working expenses and was evidently to share in the profits of the press.

Fust, or Faust, the printer of Metz, has sometimes been identified with the Faust of German legend.

The dealings in the black art, related of the one have also been ascribed to the other by various storytellers, some of whom say that in Paris, Faust the printer narrowly escaped being burnt as a wizard for selling books which looked like manuscripts, and yet were not manuscripts.

As usual, money was tight, so he borrowed some cash from a relative.

This house was used as security for the loan, and he struck up a partnership with a new investor called Johann Fust.

It was a deal he would later regret, but it did give him the cash injection he needed to set his press running.

He didn't start with the Bible.

The Gutenberg.

But Schoeffer was backed by Johann Fust, who was the main financier of the printing press, and Fust essentially executed a hostile takeover.

It's the Silicon Valley succession drama of the 1400s.

Exactly, like Tim Cook taking over Apple, but way more aggressive.

Fust sued Gutenberg, called in his debts, foreclosed on all the printing equipment right as the famous Gutenberg Bibles were being completed, and then installed Schoeffer as his new partner.

Just completely ruthlessly commercialized it.

Yeah.

Schoeffer took the invention and ran with it.

End of The Dred Scott Decision by John G. Nicolay and John Hay.

John Faust or Fust from A General Biographical Dictionary by John D. Gordon and Henry George Bohn published 1851.

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For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. John Faust or Fust a goldsmith of Mintz one of the three artists to whom the invention of printing is generally ascribed.

It is however doubtful he did more than advance money to Gutenberg who had previously made some attempts with carved blocks at Strasbourg.

The third person concerned was Schaefer who married the daughter of Faust and who is allowed the honor of having invented punches and matrices by means of which this grand art was carried to perfection.

There seems however so little connection between the birthplace, profession etc.