Ricardo was born in London. His father was a Jewish stockbroker. With his marriage in 1793, Ricardo turned Christian. He learned well, however, from his father, and by 1814, David Ricardo was a rich man in his own right. "In 1799 his interest in political economy was awakened by Smith's Wealth of Nations. Ricardo'o Theory of Rent became famous and dominated in the "science" of economics for many, many years; at least up to the time of Keynes.