They do it by being the world's cleverest investors, speculators, and gamblers. This guy has never put a single foot in Switzerland...
The swiss have done well because they have managed to avoid destruction from internal strife, or external forces. Their location makes them virtually unassailable by ground forces.
Not to mention that both winners and losers needed a safe place to deposit their gold for safekeeping.
Wow, I scanned the book. Seems pretty interesting. What is the history, (story), behind the writings?