He rose through the ranks. And after some top-notch generaling and a gig as the governor of Spain, he decided to run for consul. In order to win, Caesar needed financial help, which he got from Crassus, one of Rome's richest men. Crassus ran a private fire company whose business model was essentially, hey, I noticed your house is on fire. Give me some money and I'll help you out with that. Caesar succeeded in becoming consul in 59 BCE and thereafter sought to dominate Roman politics by allying himself with Crassus and also with Rome's other most powerful man, the general Pompey. You'll no doubt remember Pompey from his fascination with Alexander the Great.