Adelantado was an office awarded by the Spanish Crown to conduct military campaigns in the medieval period but then repurposed during the Age of Exploration to grant an individual the right to privately fund expeditions of discovery and conquest in overseas territories. The adelantado could keep the lion-share of any resources they came across, provided they paid a smaller part to the Crown.
https://www.worldhistory.org/Adelantado/ #Adelantado #SpanishEmpire