John Grayken
John Grayken | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Cohasset, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Nationality | Irish (formerly American) |
| Alma mater | University of Pennsylvania (BA in economics), Harvard Business School (MBA, 1982) |
| Occupation | Financier |
| Known for | Founder and chairman of Lone Star Funds |
| Spouse | Eilene Davidson |
| Children | 4 |
John Patrick Grayken (born June 1956) is a financier of American origin who holds Irish citizenship and serves as the founder and chairman of the private equity firm Lone Star Funds.
For the year 2024, Forbes placed Grayken at number 424 on its list of the World's Billionaires, with an estimated net worth of $6.9 billion.
Early life
Grayken was born in June 1956 and grew up in Cohasset, Massachusetts. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in economics at the University of Pennsylvania and later earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1982.
Career
Grayken’s professional journey began at Morgan Stanley, after which he joined RMB Realty Group, a real estate investment company owned by Texas billionaire Robert Bass. He took on the role of managing general partner at the Brazos Fund, established by Bass in 1995 as a vulture fund targeting mortgage-related assets from financial institutions, including those held by the Resolution Trust Corporation. With Bass contributing $30 million out of the fund’s $250 million capital, Grayken executed his initial international transaction in Canada by acquiring non-performing loans from the National Bank of Canada in 1996.
In 1995, Grayken launched Lone Star, which succeeded the Brazos Fund. The firm focuses on investing in distressed assets worldwide.
In 1999, Grayken relinquished his U.S. citizenship and obtained Irish nationality for tax optimization reasons.
Philanthropy
In March 2017, John and Eilene Grayken donated $25 million to Boston Medical Center (BMC), founding the BMC Grayken Center for Addiction Medicine—BMC’s largest donation to date. The following month, Grayken financed the establishment of the Grayken Program in International Real Estate at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
In February 2019, the couple contributed $10 million to establish the Grayken Center for Treatment at South Shore Health, aimed at supporting outpatient services for substance use disorders and behavioral health care for pregnant and postpartum women. In 2022, they made a £50 million donation to Great Ormond Street Hospital to advance research into childhood diseases.
Personal life
Shortly after becoming a "tax refugee," Grayken divorced his first wife; they briefly reconciled but separated again within six months. He subsequently married Eilene Davidson, a British theatre producer and former actress. Together they have four children.
By 2015, they owned Pyrford Court in Surrey, a Grade II listed estate with 15 bedrooms that featured in the 1976 film The Omen. As of 2017, their residence was a $70 million property in Chelsea, London, acquired through a Bermuda-based company.
In 2022, Delhi police accused Grayken of criminal breach of trust and conspiracy concerning his personal ownership stake in RattanIndia Finance. Authorities alleged that he misrepresented Lone Star Funds’ involvement and circumvented regulatory approvals mandated by the Reserve Bank of India.
External links
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1956 births
- Living people
- Irish billionaires
- Irish financial businesspeople
- Irish investors
- Naturalised citizens of Ireland
- People from Cohasset, Massachusetts
- American emigrants to Ireland
- University of Pennsylvania alumni
- Harvard Business School alumni
- Former United States citizens
- Private equity and venture capital investors