who was jacob marley in a christmas carol

Jacob Marley was the business partner of Ebenezer Scrooge in the novella "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Jacob Marley was a greedy and materialistic man who was driven by money and profit, much like Scrooge. He was also responsible for many of Scrooge's ruthless business practices. Jacob Marley died seven years before the events of the novella, but he returns as a ghost to warn Scrooge about the dangers of a life led by greed and selfishness.