In 1922, Henry Ford exacted revenge on his former nemesis Henry Leland by purchasing the Lincoln Motor Company for $8M. Some twenty years prior, a group of investors led by Leland had forced Henry Ford out of his own business, going to reorganize and re-launch it as Cadillac. Leland soon left Cadillac to found Lincoln Motor Company with his son, and despite a lucrative contract during World War I to supply Liberty aero engines, the company soon hit hard times. Ford was more than happy to bail out Leland, however at a heavily discounted price, a deliberate jab to the man who caused Ford to start from scratch so many years prior. Ford successfully purchased Lincoln, swiftly forcing Leland and his son out of the company. But what was bad for Henry Leland proved quite good for Lincoln Motor Company. Henry Ford put his son Edsel in charge, who wasted little time improving quality and expanding product offerings. By 1923, sales had risen 45 percent, and the company was finally turning a profit. Lincoln was now fully established as a genuine competitor in the luxury marketplace,