Ferdinand De Wilton Ward, Jr. (1851–1925), known first as the "Young Napoleon of Finance,"[1] and subsequently as "the Best-Hated Man in the United States," was an American swindler.

One of the first investments in his firm came from James D. Fish, president of the Marine National Bank, who continued colluding in Ward's swindle until its collapse.

While his fraud remained undetected, Ward found great success, gaining $9 million, a brownstone in New York, and a palatial 25-acre estate in Connecticut.

The Grants also gained wealth through the elaborate scheme, which gave Ward the nickname "The Young Napoleon of Wall Street".

However, the scheme eventually collapsed on May 4, 1884, bankrupting the Grants, The Marine National Bank,[3] Thomas Nast, and many other investors, and starting the Panic of 1884.

Ward was later brought before the New York Supreme Court, found guilty of fraud, and sentenced to ten years in prison.