Atahualpa was the ruler of Quito and subsequently ruled the Inca Empire before Spanish conquest. During the Spanish conquest, Atahualpa offered to fill a large room with gold and silver as a ransom to regain his freedom and to avoid being killed by the Spaniards. Despite paying this ransom, Atahualpa was then executed by the conqueres as he was deemed too much of a liability. Before being executed he converted to Catholocism and was strangled to death.