The banker Lord Jacob Rothschild, who died on Monday at the age of 87, was a true expert. He himself advised Queen Elizabeth II on financial matters. After his death, his family released a statement saying that Jacob Rothschild had been a “strong presence in the lives of many people.”
Rothschild belonged to the seventh generation of the merchant dynasty, which was founded by Mayer Amschel Rothschild, who was born in Frankfurt am Main in 1744. He advised German nobles and sent his sons to other European countries where they did business with governments.
Jacob Rothschild was born in Cambridge in 1936. After his time at Eaton College, he found himself studying history at Christ Church (Oxford). He became part of the Rothschild family bank in 1963 until he fell out with his cousin Sir Evelyn de Rothschild in 1980 and left the financial institution.
Charitable purposes
He quickly founded his own financial empire in London, namely the investment company RIT Capital. He remained its chairman until 2019. He also recently held positions with companies such as BHF Kleinwort Benson Group and BSkyB Television and was a member of the Council in the Duchy of Cornwall for the then Prince and now King Charles.
The Rothschild family, whose name is regularly used by anti-Semites as a symbol in conspiracy theories, has a fortune worth hundreds of millions of pounds.
Jacob Rothschild was described by his family as a “very accomplished financier” who was also “a champion of the arts and culture, a dedicated public servant, a passionate supporter of charitable causes in Israel and Jewish culture, an enthusiastic environmentalist and a beloved friend, father and grandfather ” has been.
Jewish community
Rothschild’s friends also expressed their condolences, including former Prime Minister Tony Blair (Labour): “He was of course an outstanding personality in the Jewish community in Great Britain,” wrote Blair. “But his influence was global because of his commitment, including in the areas of art and the environment, and through his tireless commitment to peace in the Middle East.”
Jacob Rothschild has been honored with numerous awards in both Britain and Israel, including the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire, the Weizmann Award and the Sir Winston Churchill Award. He also welcomed state guests such as Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton to his estate, whose wine cellar is said to contain 15,000 bottles of Rothschild wine, some of which are 150 years old.
Lord Jacob Rothschild was married to Lady Serena Rothschild for a good half a century. She died in 2019. The couple leaves behind four adult children. im