Who is Horace Bury from The Mote in God's Eye and what is their importance?

Horace Bury is the son of a well-to-do merchant on the planet of Levant. Horace has left his home planet and begun creating an Empire-wide commercial empire for himself. His business model is that of a raider. He finds places where he can bring in his own planets and extensive automation on various planets at such a rate that he undercuts the local suppliers.