Alain de Rothschild
Alain de Rothschild | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 7, 1910 Paris, France |
| Died | October 17, 1982 (aged 72) New York City, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Financier, benefactor |
| Known for | French Consistory President, chairman of CRIF, president of Conservatoire de Paris |
Baron James Gustave Jules Alain de Rothschild (7 January 1910 – 17 October 1982) was a distinguished French financier and benefactor.
Early life
Alain de Rothschild was born in Paris as the son of Baron Robert de Rothschild, a notable banker, and Gabrielle Nelly Régine Beer. Belonging to the influential Rothschild family, he completed his studies at the École libre des Sciences politiques in 1931. During the Second World War, he experienced internment in a detention facility.
Career
In 1946, he became part of the family’s investment banking firm, de Rothschild Frères (which later became Banque Rothschild), owning a quarter of the shares. Alain led multiple Rothschild-affiliated companies such as the Investment Society of the North, the Society of Petroleum Investors, the Company of the North, and the Discount Bank of France. Additionally, he was a joint proprietor of Château Lafite Rothschild, an esteemed Bordeaux vineyard located in Pauillac.
Philanthropy
Between 1954 and 1982, he presided over the Conservatoire de Paris, and from 1967 until 1982, he served as President of the French Consistory. He held the position of chairman at the Conseil Représentatif des Institutions juives de France (CRIF) from 1976 to 1982. In 1973, he assumed leadership of the Fondation Rothschild. His own foundation, the Institut Alain de Rothschild, was dissolved in 1995.
Following the 1980 Paris synagogue bombing, he openly criticized French political leaders for their lack of concern and described the French police’s response as “inexplicably powerless.” Acting through CRIF, he engaged with President Giscard d'Estaing to enhance security measures for synagogues and played a role in strategies affecting the 1981 French presidential election. Shortly before his passing, he also publicly denounced the Goldenberg restaurant attack.
Honors
- Officer rank in the Legion of Honour
- Recipient of the Croix de Guerre
Personal life
On 26 January 1938, he wed Mary Chauvin du Treuil. Their union produced three children:
- Béatrice Juliette Ruth de Rothschild (born 1939), who married Armand Angliviel de la Beaumelle in 1962 (divorced that same year) and later wed Pierre Rosenberg in 1981.
- Éric de Rothschild (born 1940), married Maria-Beatrice Caracciolo Di Forino in 1983.
- Robert de Rothschild (born 1947), married Debra Elisa Cohen in 1999; she passed away in 2001.
In 2006, Béatrice auctioned part of his rare book collection via Sotheby's.
Death
Following the election of President François Mitterrand in 1981, Rothschild moved to New York City. He passed away there from a heart attack on 17 October 1982 at Lenox Hill Hospital. His funeral and interment were conducted in Paris.
Legacy
The Fondation Rothschild – Institut Alain de Rothschild, founded to honor him, continues to support housing projects and Jewish community initiatives.