Which financier's failed attempt to corner United Copper helped trigger the Panic of 1907?

F. Augustus Heinze’s failed attempt to corner United Copper helped trigger the Panic of 1907.

Heinze and his associates tried to profit by controlling United Copper’s shares, believing that many shares had been sold short. The plan collapsed when the shares fell instead of rising, leaving the conspirators unable to meet obligations.

The failure damaged confidence in banks connected to Heinze, including the Knickerbocker Trust Company in New York. A run on Knickerbocker followed, and the institution suspended operations on October 22, 1907.

J. P. Morgan then coordinated emergency lending and a rescue of solvent institutions. The panic exposed the weakness of the United States banking system and helped build political support for the Federal Reserve, which was created in 1913. The crisis is sometimes called the Bankers’ Panic of 1907.