Jacob Rothschild Parents, Biography, Age, Wife, Net Worth, Kids, Cause of Death, Obituary & More
Jacob Rothschild, a prominent member of the Rothschild banking family, passed away on February 26, 2024, at the age of 87.
He was a successful financier, a generous philanthropist, and a passionate supporter of the arts and culture. He left behind a legacy of achievements, contributions, and values that will be remembered by many.
Early Life and Family
Jacob Rothschild was born on April 29, 1936, in Berkshire, England, to Victor Rothschild, 3rd Baron Rothschild, and Barbara Judith Hutchinson.
His father was a scientist and a banker, while his mother was a writer and a socialite. He had a half-sister, Emma, and a half-brother, Amschel, from his father’s second marriage.
Education
He was educated at Eton College, a prestigious boarding school, and then at Christ Church, Oxford University, where he studied history and was tutored by Hugh Trevor-Roper, a renowned historian. He also joined the Bullingdon Club, an exclusive society of wealthy students.
Jacob Rothschild Wiki/Bio
| Name | Jacob Rothschild |
|---|---|
| Full name | Nathaniel Charles Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild |
| Birth date | 29 April 1936 |
| Birthplace | Berkshire, United Kingdom |
| Death date | 26 February 2024 |
| Death place | Unknown |
| Occupation | Financier, businessman, philanthropist, peer |
| Net worth | $5 billion (estimated) |
| Spouse | Serena Dunn (1961-2019) |
| Children | Hannah, Beth, Emily, Nat |
| Grandchildren | Lily, Clemency, and others |
| Parents | Victor Rothschild, 3rd Baron Rothschild, and Barbara Judith Hutchinson |
| Siblings | Emma Rothschild and Amschel Rothschild (half-siblings) |
| Honors | CVO, GBE, OM, and others |
| sir_jacob_rothschild | |
| Wikipedia | Jacob_Rothschild,_4th_Baron_Rothschild |
| Homepage | newsunzip.com |
Career in Banking and Business
Jacob started his career in 1963 at the family bank, N M Rothschild & Sons, where he worked for 17 years. He was involved in various aspects of the bank’s operations, such as corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and international banking. He also served as a director of several companies, such as De Beers, the diamond mining giant, and The Economist, the influential magazine.
However, in 1980, he resigned from the bank due to a family dispute over the leadership and direction of the business. He sold his minority stake in the bank and decided to pursue his ventures. He took control of Rothschild Investment Trust, an investment trust that he had founded in 1961, and renamed it RIT Capital Partners.
He transformed it into one of the largest and most successful investment trusts in the UK, with a net asset value of about £2 billion as of 2024. He was the chairman of the firm until 2019.
He also co-founded J Rothschild Assurance Group, now St James’s Place, a wealth management company, with Mark Weinberg in 1980. He was a major shareholder and a director of the company until 2004. He also joined forces with James Goldsmith and Kerry Packer in an unsuccessful bid for British American Tobacco, a tobacco company, in 1989.
He held several other senior roles in business and finance, such as deputy chairman of BSkyB, a satellite television company, from 2003 to 2008, and director of RHJ International, a diversified holding company, from 2005 to 2010. He also invested in various sectors, such as technology, biotechnology, media, and real estate.
Philanthropy and Culture
Rothschild was not only a savvy businessman, but also a generous philanthropist and a cultural leader. He supported many causes and organizations, especially in the fields of arts, education, heritage, and Jewish culture. He donated millions of pounds to various institutions, such as the National Gallery, the National Trust, the British Library, the British Museum, the Royal Academy of Arts, the Royal Opera House, the Tate Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, the London School of Economics, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Yad Vashem, among others.
He was also actively involved in the governance and management of several cultural and charitable bodies. He was the chairman of the board of trustees of the National Gallery from 1985 to 1991, and the chairman of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund from 1992 to 1998. He was also a trustee of the Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation, the Kew Foundation, the Rothschild Foundation, and the Yad Hanadiv Foundation.
He was particularly devoted to preserving and enhancing Waddesdon Manor, a country estate in Buckinghamshire that was built by his ancestor Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the 19th century. He took over the management of the estate from his cousin Dorothy de Rothschild in 1988 and transferred it to the National Trust.
He also established the Rothschild Foundation, a charity that supports the estate and its activities, such as exhibitions, events, education, and conservation. He was the chairman of the foundation until his death and was succeeded by his daughter Hannah.
He was also a patron and collector of the arts. He commissioned and acquired numerous works of art, such as paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs, and furniture, from various artists, such as Lucian Freud, David Hockney, Anish Kapoor, Damien Hirst, and Antony Gormley. He also sat for several portraits, including by Freud and Hockney. He displayed his collection at Waddesdon Manor and at his home in London.
Honours and Awards
Jacob received many honors and awards for his achievements and contributions. He was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 1988, a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in 1998, and a Member of the Order of Merit (OM) in 2002.
The Order of Merit is a prestigious honor that is given to those who have rendered meritorious service in the fields of arts, literature, learning, and science. He was also awarded honorary degrees from several universities, such as Oxford, Cambridge, London, and Jerusalem.
He was also a member of the House of Lords, the upper chamber of the UK Parliament, from 1991 to 1999, as a hereditary peer. He sat as a crossbencher, meaning that he did not belong to any political party. He retired from the House of Lords in 1999, following the House of Lords Act 1999, which reduced the number of hereditary peers.
Physical Stats
| Weight | In Kilograms: 65 kg In Pounds: 143 lbs |
| Height | In Feet Inches: 5′ 8″ In Meters: 1.72 m In Centimetres: 172 cm |
| Hair Color | White. |
| Eye Color | Blue. |
Net Worth and Income Sources
According to various estimates, Jacob Rothschild had a net worth of around $5 billion at the time of his death. He earned his fortune mainly through his career as an investment banker and a businessman. He had stakes in various investment trusts, wealth management businesses, oil and gas companies, and other sectors.
Wife, Kids & Grandchildren
Rothschild married Serena Dunn, a socialite and a granddaughter of Canadian financier Sir James Dunn, in 1961. They had four children: Hannah, Beth, Emily, and Nat. They also had several grandchildren. His wife Serena died in 2019, after a short illness.
His son Nat is a prominent financier and investor, who is the co-chairman of Bumi plc, an Indonesian coal mining company, and the chairman of Volex plc, an electrical cable manufacturer. He is also a major shareholder and a director of RIT Capital Partners. His daughter Hannah is a writer, filmmaker, and philanthropist, who is the chair of the Rothschild Foundation and the National Gallery.
She is also a trustee of the Tate Gallery and the Royal Opera House. His daughter Beth is a gardener and a landscape designer, who is the director of the Rothschild Foundation and a trustee of the Royal Horticultural Society. His daughter Emily is an artist and a photographer, who has exhibited her work at various galleries and museums.
Death Cause
Jacob Rothschild died on February 26, 2024, at the age of 87. He was buried under Jewish custom in a small family ceremony. A memorial service will be held at a later date to celebrate his life.
Jacob Rothschild was a remarkable person who lived a rich and fulfilling life. He was a successful financier, a generous philanthropist, and a passionate supporter of the arts and culture.
He was a member of the Rothschild banking family, but he also carved his own path and made his own mark in the world. He was a respected and admired figure in many circles, and his legacy will be cherished by many. He was a towering presence in many people’s lives, and he will be greatly missed.
Content Source: wikipedia.org/Jacob_Rothschild,_4th_Baron_Rothschild
