Count of St. Germain was a European adventurer, with an interest in science and the arts. In order to deflect inquiries as to his origins, he would invent fantasies, such as him being 500 years old. He has appeared many times throughout history – even as recently as the 1970s – always appearing to be about 45 years old. He was known by many of the most famous figures of European history, including Casanova, Madame de Pampadour, Voltaire, King Louis XV, Catherine the Great, Anton Mesmer and others.