Friday offtopic. Your idol's transgressions

[mahnmut]

What's the worst thing a historical figure you admire did?

Thomas Jefferson is one of my most admired historical figures. He was brilliant, an accomplished scholar and inventor, and he did more to create the United States than anyone else. As president, he doubled the size of the country with the Louisiana Purchase, the greatest real estate deal in history. However, he was a slave owner. Even though he included a clause in the Declaration of Independence against slavery, it was later taken out by others. Still, he continued to own them, even fathering children with one.

Comments

[mikeyxw]

Winston Churchill was a racist jerk who did more than anyone to defeat fascism. The jerk part he did with enough style it can be forgiven, but his government let 2 or 3 million Bengalis die because they prioritized beating the Nazis over preventing a famine.

[luzribeiro]

Hitler was a talented artist.

But he killed a few dozen million people.

Technically not my idol by a long shot, but still you get the idea.