[Loud Mime]

I seem to recall that Jefferson went into heavy debt because of othes in his family and because his investments included signing notes for friends who defaulted. Do you know of this?

[C210N]

I didn’t know he lost money from defaulted loans of friends, that’s interesting. He did try now and then, in earnest, to lessen the load... but continued to spend and spend. Sounds like Republicans today! As for debt in his family, he acquired the “assets” of, I believe it was his father-in-law. This
inheritance was substantial, and it was unclear at the time he could decide to take it on or not, whether it was a net positive or negative. It was negative, but he thought he could acquire it, sell some land or property, and pay back the debts of the deceased. This was all in sharp contrast to John Adams, who generally (but not always) lived frugally, without slaves, and within his means.

[Aquamarine]

If I remember correctly from a book about Jefferson he suffered heavy debt at the end of his life trying to help his only living daughter and her 12 children.

Taken from his bio at Wikpedia:

Although he was born into one of the wealthiest families in the United States, Thomas Jefferson was deeply in debt when he died. His possessions were sold at auction.