A man of wealth and power who secretly helps another person, especially from the biblical figure Nicodemus who was a wealthy Pharisee that supported Jesus.
From Greek 'nike' (victory) and 'demos' (people). The name became synonymous with secret benefactor because of Nicodemus's role in the Gospel accounts visiting Jesus at night.
Nicodemus represents a fascinating biblical archetype—someone powerful enough to matter, but constrained by social position, so help must be hidden; this pattern appears in literature for 2,000 years.
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