J.P. Morgan once offered $100,000 to anyone who could figure out why his face was so red. No one solved the mystery.

John Pierpont “J.P.” Morgan was born in 1837 and lived until 1913. He was one of the biggest and most influential financial moguls of his time. J.P. Morgan was a well-known banker and financial expert who specialized in corporate finance as well as industrial mergers and acquisitions of massive economical proportions. One of his greatest accomplishments was the successful negotiation and merger of Edison General Electric and the Thomson-Houston Electric company. The two companies later turned into General Electric. His effectiveness as a business leader and financial insights helped in the transformation of the American business at the time.

In his personal life J.P. Morgan was literally a scary person to deal with. He was a large man with a very intimidating stature that often terrified people. Above all he had a red face and a huge, purple and deformed nose. Back in the day the medicine did not understand the reason his nose had such a bizarre color.

In order to improve his appearance J.P. Morgan once offered $100,000 to anyone who could tell him why his face was red and his nose purple. Sadly, no doctor could diagnose him properly and cure him.

Years later, after he passed away in 1913, physicians discovered he had a condition called rhinophyma which resulted from untreated rosacea, a chronic skin condition. That particular skin ailment was responsible for his facial redness and intimidating looks.