 At an early age he went to Amsterdam, where he entered a commercial house, of which he became manager at the age of 17, but met with reverses, and lost the fortune which his father had left to him.In 1774 he returned to Vienna, married Caecilie (Zipperche) Itzig (1760–1836), a daughter of Daniel Itzig of Berlin, and joined in partnership and entered the business of his brother-in-law Nathan Arnstein, with whom he established the banking-house of "Arnstein and Eskeles", which came into great prominence during the Congress of Vienna.They were patrons of Mozart and also of Ignaz Moscheles who gave piano lessons to Caecilie.