The Financier is a novel by Theodore Dreiser (1871–1945), based on a true story. It is the first part of the «Trilogy of Desire.» Frank Cowperwood, the son of a banker, starts his own business. He married a wealthy widow. Over time, Cowperwood began to misuse municipal funds with the help of the city treasurer. When the Great Chicago Fire causes a stock market crash, he goes bankrupt, and his fraud is exposed. Frank has an affair with Aileen Butler, the daughter of one of his business partners.