Templars and Money Business

Some authors and researchers believe that the templars revenues were way beyond the revenues of any king in europe at that time. They had castles, fortified monasteries, huge gold reserves (which were never found), mills, markets, lands and large amount of loot money, ships. A book on the commanderies of the grand priory of france of the order of malta explains the staggering amount of money the templars were making. 

They generates money from their possessions in syria and palestine to cover the needs for war in holy land. Their total revenues exceeded way beyond their needs.  During their 200 years of existence, the templars acquired huge wealth across Europe. They had 2-3 times more properties than the Hospitallers. A realistic and conservative figure for the annual revenue of the Templars was probably at least 500,000 pounds tournois (approx. 1.3 billion dollars). [source: De Recuperatione Terre Sancte, Pierre Dubois, MS Reg. Lat. 1642, #15, Vatican Library]

Due to their large wealth and properties, the templars had extended themselves into a relatively new business at that time - the money business. The templars provided safe deposits, they had their own secure facilities and stored their treasure there. Their facilities were so secure and highly guarded that even the governments and wealthy people took advantage of it. They even safe guarded the treasure of wealthy people who would travel from one kingdom to another. 

The templars created the first banking system similar to our modern ATM machines. They allowed people to deposit money at one location and collect it at another. They charged for this service and made money out of it. They also acted as agents for collection. They took contracts for the collection of taxes and even acted as agents to negotiate the ransom and release of important prisoners. The templars maintained trust, collected income and managed properties. As mortgage bankers they loaned money on income property. They even offered issuance of paper for money. 

The templars had the skill to generate revenue from anything. They made money by escorting pilgrims and lodging them, transporting pilgrims by ship to the holy land, banking, trading goods, renting land and houses and so forth. The templars made good fortunes from banking because they paid no interest on the deposits. 

Making money in such ways was against the christian beliefs and this increase in the wealth and owning of lands led to the gaining of some of the rivals for the templars. The three main rivals were The Monarchy, The Church and The Hospitallers.