Who was the leader or founder of New York colony?

New York was begun as a Dutch Colony in 1624, a proprietary colony of the Dutch West Indies Company. It was originally the colony of New Netherlands and New York City was originally New Amsterdam. The original Director-General of the colony was Cornellis Jacobzoon May, who was soon succeeded by Willem Verhulst. The best remembered though is the third Director-General, Peter Minuit, who served from 1626-32. It was Minuit who supposedly made the legendary purchase of Manhattan Island for trade goods worth $24. The British took over New York in 1664 as part of the Peace settlement following an Anglo-Dutch war.