hɪz kɚɹˈɪɹ ɐlˈɛdʒᵻdli bˈɛnɪfˌɪɾᵻd fɹʌm kənˈɛkʃənz tə hɪz mətˈɜːnəl ɹˈɛlətˌɪvz, ðə fˈeɪlaɪpˌɔːks fˈæmɪli, mˈɛnɪəv hˈuːm hˈɛld sˈiːnjɚ pəzˈɪʃənz ɪnðə ɡˈʌvɚnmənt ʌv lˈuːi ɹˌoʊmən fˈoːɹtiːn ænd lˈuːvwɑː, mˈɪnɪstɚɹ ʌv wˈɔːɹ fɹʌm wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɪkshˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti tˈuː tə wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɪkshˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti wˈʌn.
His career allegedly benefited from connections to his maternal relatives, the Phélypeaux family, many of whom held senior positions in the government of Louis XIV and Louvois, Minister of War from 1662 to 1691.