Johannes Gutenberg spent decades perfecting movable metal type, oil-based ink, and the printing press in 15th-century Mainz. To fund his monumental 42-line Bible project, he borrowed heavily from financier Johann Fust.
Just as the Bible was near completion, Fust foreclosed on the loan. Assisted by Gutenberg's young assistant Peter Schöffer, Fust took control of the workshop and printed the profits, leaving Gutenberg financially ruined.