Élie de Rothschild
Élie Robert de Rothschild | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 May 1917 France |
| Died | 6 August 2007 (aged 90) |
| Occupation | Banker |
| Known for | Head of French division of Rothschild family banking empire; management of Château Lafite-Rothschild |
Élie Robert de Rothschild (29 May 1917 – 6 August 2007) was the head of the French division of the Rothschild family banking empire. He inherited his father's partnership in the family firm, de Rothschild Frères, and oversaw the distinguished Château Lafite-Rothschild premier cru claret estate from 1946 until 1974.
Lineage
Élie was the younger child of Baron Robert de Rothschild and Nelly Beer. His father was a partner at de Rothschild Frères alongside his cousin Baron Édouard Alphonse James de Rothschild. On his maternal side, Élie descended from the Beer family; his mother was the daughter of Edmond Beer and related to composer Giacomo Meyerbeer. Additionally, Nelly’s sister, Marie-Louise Beer, married Lionel Nathan de Rothschild from the English branch of the family. Élie and his siblings (Diane, Alain, Cécile) were brought up at Château de Laversine near Chantilly as well as at their Paris residence, the mansion located at 23 avenue de Marigny.
World War II service
During the German invasion of France in 1940, Élie and his brother served as cavalry officers. Captured near Belgium, Élie was imprisoned in several POW camps, including Oflag X-B at Nienberg, followed by transfers to high-security facilities such as Colditz Castle and Oflag X-C in Lübeck. Despite their Jewish background, they were accorded treatment befitting captured officers by the Wehrmacht. Élie was freed in early 1944 and later remarked on the respectful conduct he experienced despite difficult conditions.
While detained, Élie arranged a proxy marriage proposal to his childhood love, Baroness Liliane Fould-Springer, marrying her in 1942. Her family, which held substantial Austrian business interests including ownership of Château Beychevelle near Château Lafite, initially opposed their union during the Nazi occupation but did not face direct repercussions.
Post-war life
Following the war’s conclusion, Élie and Alain along with their spouses resided together in the family mansion on avenue de Marigny, previously utilized as the headquarters of the Luftwaffe. In the 1950s, Élie relocated to 11 rue Masseran where he displayed an impressive art collection featuring masterpieces by Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Dubuffet, and Picasso. This collection was highlighted in Great Private Collections by Douglas Cooper. When Alvar Gonzales Palacios identified a Dancer attributed to Canova, he traced its provenance to Hotel Masseran where it had formerly been assigned to Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux.
Élie and Alain played active roles in supporting their cousin Guy de Rothschild in revitalizing Rothschild Frères investment bank and its subsidiary Compagnie des chemins de fer du Nord. In 1946, Élie assumed management of Château Lafite-Rothschild, a premier cru vineyard located in Pauillac within the Médoc region. Ownership was shared among Alain, Guy, cousin Jimmy de Rothschild, and himself. In 1956 he became president of the family's railway company, Compagnie des chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée (PLM), overseeing diversification into hospitality sectors including hotels, motels, and dining establishments.
Offshore business
From 1996 through 2003, Élie established no fewer than twenty trusts with confidentiality provisions in South Pacific jurisdictions; some persisted beyond his death in 2007. Investigations into offshore leaks exposed trusts and holding companies created in the Cook Islands, bearing anonymous titles such as ″Anon Trust″. These entities shared a single shareholder entity named ″Mandalor Limited″ based out of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Élie maintained associations with notable personalities like Prince Aly Khan and Gianni Agnelli. In 1954, during his wife’s absence, he engaged briefly in an affair with divorcée Pamela Churchill (later Pamela Harriman). Liliane swiftly terminated this relationship; when questioned by the Duke of Windsor regarding Pamela’s connection to a Rothschild, she confidently responded, "My husband, Sir," effectively dismissing Pamela’s claim. Élie's nephew, Éric de Rothschild, son of Alain, succeeded him in managing Château Lafite-Rothschild starting in 1974.
Death
Élie passed away from a heart attack at his hunting retreat located near Scharnitz, close to Innsbruck in Austria. His spouse had died earlier in 2003. Their son is married to Nili Limon, who is the daughter of Mordechai Limon, the Israel Navy commander during the 1950s.
Sources
- Tribute to Mssr. Rothschild at Respectance.com
- Reflected Glory: the Life of Pamela Churchill Harriman, Sally Bedell Smith, 1996. Simon & Schuster.
- Obituary, The Daily Telegraph, 7 August 2007
- Obituary, The Times, 8 August 2007
- Obituary, The Independent, 9 August 2007