Baron David de Rothschild (b.1942)
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Baron David René James de Rothschild was born 15 December 1942, in New York, where his parents had travelled for safety during the Second World War. He is the son of Guy Edouard Alphonse Paul de Rothschild (1909-2007)and Alix Hermine Jeanette Schey von Koromla (1911-1982). After the war, the family returned home to Paris, where he was educated at Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris in Paris, graduating in 1966. He began his business career at Société miniére et métallurgique de Peñarroya, one of the family's international mining businesses headquartered in Paris. He then began training in de Rothschild Frères bank.
In 1967 due to French government reform of banking regulations, de Rothschild Frères became Banque Rothschild, a limited-liability company. Following the election to the French Presidency of the socialist government of François Mitterrand in 1981, the new parliament nationalized a number of large companies and banks including Banque Rothschild.
In 1982, David recreated the bank in Paris after it had been nationalised, with 10 employees housed in the Avenue Matignon. In 1987, joined by his half-brother Edouard, step-brother Count Philippe de Nicolay, and cousin Eric de Rothschild, Baron David created a successor company, Rothschild & Cie Banque. They soon built their new bank into a major competitor in France and continental Europe.
In 2003, following the retirement of his English cousin, Sir Evelyn de Rothschild (1931-2022), as head of N M Rothschild & Sons, the UK and French firms merged to become one entity.
Business papers of Baron David de Rothschild
Currently, papers relating to Baron David de Rothschild's Chairmanship remain held by the business.
Chairman's Office, Baron David de Rothschild, sundry press cuttings, 1999-2018
000/1299, 000/1328, 000/1331, 000/2139, 000/2583/1, 000/2139, 6 items
Chairman's Office, Baron David de Rothschild, sundry press cuttings:
- Il Mattino, 25 September 1999, including an article about Baron David de Rothschild;
- The Spectator, 18 October 2003. Contains an interview with Baron David de Rothschild, with accompanying photograph and cartoon featuring Baron David de Rothschild and Nathan Mayer Rothschild against a backdrop of City of London buildings. The original cartoon by Jonathan Wateridge, commissioned to accompany the article will be found in 000/1328;
- Tharawat Magazine, January-March 2010, Volume 5: article, 'Interview with Baron David de Rothschild';
- Manager Magazin, 2013 featuring an article on the Rothschild business, and an interview with Baron David de Rothschild.;
- Cutting from The Financial Times, 23 September 2018, 'Lunch with David de Rothschild'.
Chairman’s Office, David de Rothschild, Chairman’s papers, visit to the Jewish Museum of Greece, 2009
000/2081, 2 boxes
Chairman’s Office, David de Rothschild, Chairman’s papers: Chairman's visit to the Jewish Museum of Greece, 2009: Commemorative photograph album, folder of facsimile documents relating to the Rothschild family in The Jewish Museum of Greece, publications and a bronze copy of an oil lamp for the Hannukah holiday, engraved as a gift to Baron David de Rothschild.
Chairman's Office, Baron David de Rothschild, secondary sources, 'Bloomberg interviews', 2005
000/2519/2, 1 DVD
DVD from the Chairman's Office labelled in manuscript Bloomberg, UK and French television, featuring interviews with Baron David de Rothschild, 22 April 2005.