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Paul Barras remains one of the most ambiguous figures of the Directory, dissolute in his private life and circumspect in his political vision. On the other hand, his reputation remains without parallel in one domain, namely, the management of his estate, something he defended vigorously once his directorial career had ended, vociferously decrying his detractors. How did the child of a modest family from Provence manage to create such a “system,” founded on diplomatic presents and speculation on markets run by the state? What was Barras’s fortune in real terms? This article searches for clues among the financial records left by the viscount.