There he met his future wife, Friederike, for the first time when he visited her father, Balthasar Münter, who was a priest at the St. Peter's Church, Copenhagen.

During the following decades, the trade flourished, assisted by Denmark's neutrality in the European wars which raged at the time.

In 1788-99 the Danish Government send Brun on a diplomatic mission to Russia, an allied of Denmark, with financial support for the Russian war against Sweden.

He imported several families from Switzerland and established a production of Swiss cheese which was mainly exported to oversea markets.

[3] His wife, Friederike Brun, was a writer and played host to many prominent Danish artists and intellectuals of her day.

His parsimonious reputation is reflected in his comment that he "saw the moon as a time counter and as a good bright light which shone without the need for payment."