Guy de Rothschild
Encyclopedia
Baron Guy Édouard Alphonse Paul de Rothschild (ba.ʁɔ̃ e.dwaːʁ al.fɔ̃s pɔl gi də ʁɔt.ʃild) (May 21, 1909 – June 12, 2007) was a French banker and member of the Rothschild family
. He chaired the bank Rothschild Frères from 1967 to 1979, when it was nationalized by the French government, and maintained possessions in other French and foreign companies including Imerys
. He was named to the International Best Dressed List
Hall of Fame in 1985.
and Bethsabée
. Half of his great-grandparents were Rothschilds. He was a great-great grandson of German Mayer Amschel Rothschild
(1743–1812), who founded the family's banking in the 18th century. He grew up at his parents' townhouse on the corner of the rue de Rivoli and the Place de la Concorde
in Paris (a property once occupied by Talleyrand and now the United States Embassy) and their country estate at Château de Ferrières
, 25 miles north-east of Paris, a massive house built to a design by Joseph Paxton
in the 1850s, based on Paxton's earlier design of Mentmore Towers
for Baron Mayer de Rothschild of the English branch of the Rothschild family.
He was educated at the Lycée Condorcet
and Lycée Louis-le-Grand
in Paris, and by private tutors. He undertook military service with the cavalry at Saumur
, and played golf
for France. He won the Grand Prix de Sud-Ouest in 1948.
Rothschild married twice. In 1937, he married a distant cousin, Baroness Alix Hermine Jeanette Schey de Koromla (1911–1982), the former wife of Kurt Krahmer and younger daughter of the Hungarian
Baron Philip Schey von Koromla by his first wife, and the couple had a son, David René de Rothschild
. By his first wife, Rothschild also had two stepdaughters, Lili and Bettina Kahmer. They divorced in 1956.
He married a second time in 1957, to Baroness Marie-Hélène van Zuylen van Nyevelt
(1927–1996), whose marriage to Count François de Nicolay had also been dissolved in 1956. Like his first wife, she was a distant cousin, though in this case, a Roman Catholic. They had one child, Baron Édouard de Rothschild
.
After his second marriage, Guy de Rothschild renovated the Château de Ferrières, using it to put on lavish balls in the early 1970s, before donating it to the University of Paris
in 1975. The same year, he bought the Hôtel Lambert
on the Île Saint-Louis
in Paris, the top floors of which became his Paris residence.
, Guy de Rothschild's parents and sister Bethsabée
fled France and made their way to safety in New York City
. Guy de Rothschild had enlisted in the French Army
and was a company commander in the 3rd Light Mechanised Division during the Battle of France
in early 1940. After fighting the Nazis at Carvin
, he was part of the French Army that was forced to retreat to Dunkirk. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre
for his actions on the beaches at Dunkirk, from where he was evacuated to England. He immediately returned to France, landing at Brest
, and taking charge of the family's office at La Bourboule
, near Clermont-Ferrand
.
Under the Vichy government
, his father and uncles were stripped of their French nationality, removed from the register of the Légion d'honneur
, and the family was forced to sell its possessions. Rothschild managed to persuade the buyers to grant options under which he would later be able to buy the family's interests back. He left France again, via Spain and Portugal, to join his parents in New York City
. He joined the Free French Forces
and boarded the cargo ship, Pacific Grove, to travel back to Europe. His ship was torpedoed and sunk in March 1943, and he was rescued after spending 12 hours in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean
. In England, he joined the staff of General Koenig at Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
near Portsmouth.
At the end of War War II, Guy de Rothschild returned to the bank's offices at rue Laffitte
in Paris in 1944. On his father's passing in 1949, Guy de Rothschild took formal control of the business. Years later, Rothschild was on the cover of the December 20, 1963 issue of TIME
magazine in a story that said he took "over the family's French bank during the disorder of war and defeat, changed its character from stewardship of the family fortune to expansive modern banking."
Following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Guy de Rothschild served as a director of the Banque de France
. On his father's death, he also inherited part of Château Lafite-Rothschild
but did not run it.
Georges Pompidou
, who would later become President and Prime Minister of France
, was recruited by Guy de Rothschild from a job as a teacher, and worked for him from 1953 to 1962, during which time he became the general manager of the Rothschild bank. The bank diversified, from investment management under De Rothschild Frères to the deposit-taking Banque de Rothschild, with branches throughout France. Guy was its president from 1968 to 1978. In 1968 Guy de Rothschild became a partner at N M Rothschild & Sons
, London
, while cousin Sir Evelyn de Rothschild
was appointed a director of Banque Rothschild, Paris.
In 1961, Guy de Rothschild took over as Chairman of Imetal S.A. in which the family had a substantial stake. His involvement marked the first time any Rothschild had personally participated in the management of the business. Among its holdings, the international mining conglomerate owned Société Le Nickel (SLN) in New Caledonia
. In 1969, SLN acquired Peñarroya, a Chile
an based company which mined and processed lead
, zinc
and copper
. Two years later SLN took over La Compagnie de Mokta, which specialized in iron
, manganese
, sand
, gravel
and uranium
. Rothschild restructured the family's various mining interests, including Peñarroya which became part of SLN.
a number of industries and after declaring nickel to be a vital market commodity, SLN's assets were nationalized in 1974 and placed under a new company, Société Metallurgique. The result left the Rothschild's SLN as a holding company with a fifty percent interest in Société Metallurgique.
When the Rothschild's bank was nationalized in 1981 by the socialist government of François Mitterrand
, a discouraged Guy de Rothschild left France and moved temporarily to New York City. Following another change in government policy, in 1987 a new banking business was established by his son David who founded Rothschild & Cie Banque
.
s as the family owns Haras de Meautry
in Normandy
. He inherited Château de Reux in the horse breeding
area in Lower Normandy about 125 miles north of Paris. He produced prominent race horses, the most famous perhaps was Exbury
.
Guy de Rothschild chaired the association of racehorse breeders in France of 1975 to 1982.
Among the major races Guy de Rothschild's horses won were http://www.france-galop.com/All-the-races.233+M52087573ab0.0.html?&course_id=3153&no_cache=1&numero_id=99:
made the first significant acquisitions. Notable in his collection, Guy de Rothschild inherited Jan Vermeer's The Astronomer. In 1940 the Nazis confiscated it from his father and sent it to Germany. In 1945 the painting was returned to the Rothschild family and acquired by the Louvre
in 1983.
In 1975, Rothschild and his wife donated the Château de Ferrières
to the University of Paris
.
Rothschild family
The Rothschild family , known as The House of Rothschild, or more simply as the Rothschilds, is a Jewish-German family that established European banking and finance houses starting in the late 18th century...
. He chaired the bank Rothschild Frères from 1967 to 1979, when it was nationalized by the French government, and maintained possessions in other French and foreign companies including Imerys
Imerys
Imerys is a French multinational company. It is a constituent of the CAC Mid 60 index.-History:The Company was founded in 1880 and for many years was known as Imetal....
. He was named to the International Best Dressed List
International Best Dressed List
The International Best Dressed List was founded by fashionista Eleanor Lambert in 1940 as an attempt to boost the reputation of American fashion at the time.People who have been on the list include from A to Z:-The International Hall of Fame: Women:...
Hall of Fame in 1985.
Family
Baron Guy de Rothschild was born in Paris, the son of Baron Édouard de Rothschild (1868–1949) and his wife, the former Germaine Alice Halphen (1884–1975). His elder brother, Édouard Alphonse Émile Lionel (1906–11), died young after an appendectomy; he also had two younger sisters, JacquelineJacqueline Piatigorsky
Jacqueline Rebecca Louise de Rothschild is a French-American chess and tennis champion, author, sculptor and a member of the Rothschild banking family of France. The daughter of the enormously wealthy and influential banker, Édouard Alphonse de Rothschild, and Germaine Alice Halphen, she is the...
and Bethsabée
Bethsabée de Rothschild
Baroness Bethsabée de Rothschild Baroness Bethsabée de Rothschild Baroness Bethsabée de Rothschild (name sometimes spelled Batsheva (September 23, 1914, in London - April 20, 1999, in Tel Aviv, Israel) was a philanthropist, a patron of dance, and member of the Rothschild banking family.-Biography:...
. Half of his great-grandparents were Rothschilds. He was a great-great grandson of German Mayer Amschel Rothschild
Mayer Amschel Rothschild
Mayer Amschel Rothschild was the founder of the Rothschild family international banking dynasty that became the most successful business family in history. In 2005, he was ranked 7th on the Forbes magazine list of "The Twenty Most Influential Businessmen Of All Time"...
(1743–1812), who founded the family's banking in the 18th century. He grew up at his parents' townhouse on the corner of the rue de Rivoli and the Place de la Concorde
Place de la Concorde
The Place de la Concorde in area, it is the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées.- History :...
in Paris (a property once occupied by Talleyrand and now the United States Embassy) and their country estate at Château de Ferrières
Château de Ferrières
Château de Ferrières is a French château built between 1855 and 1859 by Baron James de Rothschild in the Goût Rothschild. Rothschild ownership of the Château de Ferrières was passed down through the male line according to the rule of primogeniture...
, 25 miles north-east of Paris, a massive house built to a design by Joseph Paxton
Joseph Paxton
Sir Joseph Paxton was an English gardener and architect, best known for designing The Crystal Palace.-Early life:...
in the 1850s, based on Paxton's earlier design of Mentmore Towers
Mentmore Towers
Mentmore Towers is a 19th century English country house in the village of Mentmore in Buckinghamshire. The house was designed by Joseph Paxton and his son-in-law, George Henry Stokes, in the revival Elizabethan and Jacobean style of the late 16th century called Jacobethan, for the banker and...
for Baron Mayer de Rothschild of the English branch of the Rothschild family.
He was educated at the Lycée Condorcet
Lycée Condorcet
The Lycée Condorcet is a school founded in 1803 in Paris, France, located at 8, rue du Havre, in the city's IXe arrondissement. Since its inception, various political eras have seen it given a number of different names, but its identity today honors the memory of the Marquis de Condorcet. The...
and Lycée Louis-le-Grand
Lycée Louis-le-Grand
The Lycée Louis-le-Grand is a public secondary school located in Paris, widely regarded as one of the most rigorous in France. Formerly known as the Collège de Clermont, it was named in king Louis XIV of France's honor after he visited the school and offered his patronage.It offers both a...
in Paris, and by private tutors. He undertook military service with the cavalry at Saumur
Saumur
Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.The historic town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc...
, and played golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
for France. He won the Grand Prix de Sud-Ouest in 1948.
Rothschild married twice. In 1937, he married a distant cousin, Baroness Alix Hermine Jeanette Schey de Koromla (1911–1982), the former wife of Kurt Krahmer and younger daughter of the Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
Baron Philip Schey von Koromla by his first wife, and the couple had a son, David René de Rothschild
David René de Rothschild
David René James de Rothschild is a banker and a member of the French branch of the Rothschild family. He is the chairman of Rothschilds Continuation Holdings, a Swiss holding company...
. By his first wife, Rothschild also had two stepdaughters, Lili and Bettina Kahmer. They divorced in 1956.
He married a second time in 1957, to Baroness Marie-Hélène van Zuylen van Nyevelt
Marie-Hélène de Rothschild
Marie-Hélène de Rothschild was a French socialite who became a doyenne of Parisian high-society and was a member of the prominent Rothschild banking family of France....
(1927–1996), whose marriage to Count François de Nicolay had also been dissolved in 1956. Like his first wife, she was a distant cousin, though in this case, a Roman Catholic. They had one child, Baron Édouard de Rothschild
Edouard de Rothschild
Edouard de Rothschild may refer to:* Édouard Alphonse de Rothschild , French banker* Édouard Etienne de Rothschild , French financier & horseman...
.
After his second marriage, Guy de Rothschild renovated the Château de Ferrières, using it to put on lavish balls in the early 1970s, before donating it to the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
in 1975. The same year, he bought the Hôtel Lambert
Hôtel Lambert
Hôtel Lambert is a hôtel particulier, a grand mansion townhouse, on the Quai Anjou on the eastern tip of the Île Saint-Louis, Paris IVème; the name, Hôtel Lambert, was a sobriquet that designated a 19th-century political faction of Polish exiles, who gathered there.-Architectural history:The house...
on the Île Saint-Louis
Île Saint-Louis
The Île Saint-Louis is one of two natural islands in the Seine river, in Paris, France . The island is named after King Louis IX of France ....
in Paris, the top floors of which became his Paris residence.
Service in World War II
In 1940, as a result of the German occupation of France in World War IIGerman occupation of France in World War II
The Military Administration in France was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II. It remained in existence from May 1940 to December 1944. As a result of the defeat of France and its Allies in the Battle of France, the French cabinet sought a cessation...
, Guy de Rothschild's parents and sister Bethsabée
Bethsabée de Rothschild
Baroness Bethsabée de Rothschild Baroness Bethsabée de Rothschild Baroness Bethsabée de Rothschild (name sometimes spelled Batsheva (September 23, 1914, in London - April 20, 1999, in Tel Aviv, Israel) was a philanthropist, a patron of dance, and member of the Rothschild banking family.-Biography:...
fled France and made their way to safety in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Guy de Rothschild had enlisted in the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
and was a company commander in the 3rd Light Mechanised Division during the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
in early 1940. After fighting the Nazis at Carvin
Carvin
This article refers to a French commune. For the guitar manufacturer see Carvin Corporation. For the late New Orleans political consultant see Jim Carvin.Carvin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France....
, he was part of the French Army that was forced to retreat to Dunkirk. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
for his actions on the beaches at Dunkirk, from where he was evacuated to England. He immediately returned to France, landing at Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, and taking charge of the family's office at La Bourboule
La Bourboule
La Bourboule is commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.-References:*...
, near Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700 . Its metropolitan area had 409,558 inhabitants at the 1999 census. It is the prefecture of the Puy-de-Dôme department...
.
Under the Vichy government
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
, his father and uncles were stripped of their French nationality, removed from the register of the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
, and the family was forced to sell its possessions. Rothschild managed to persuade the buyers to grant options under which he would later be able to buy the family's interests back. He left France again, via Spain and Portugal, to join his parents in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He joined the Free French Forces
Free French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
and boarded the cargo ship, Pacific Grove, to travel back to Europe. His ship was torpedoed and sunk in March 1943, and he was rescued after spending 12 hours in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. In England, he joined the staff of General Koenig at Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force , was the headquarters of the Commander of Allied forces in north west Europe, from late 1943 until the end of World War II. U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was in command of SHAEF throughout its existence...
near Portsmouth.
Banking and business
Guy de Rothschild studied law at university then joined de Rothschild Frères in 1931 when it was being run by his father and a cousin, Robert Philippe de Rothschild, who died in 1946. As part of his learning to manage the family's businesses, in 1933 he joined the executive board of their Northern Railway Company.At the end of War War II, Guy de Rothschild returned to the bank's offices at rue Laffitte
Rue Laffitte
Rue Laffitte is a street in Paris' IXe arrondissement.This street was created in 1771 between the Boulevard des Italiens and the Rue de Provence. Its original name was Rue d'Artois, in honour of the Comte d'Artois, brother of the king Louis XVI, later king of France with the name of Charles X...
in Paris in 1944. On his father's passing in 1949, Guy de Rothschild took formal control of the business. Years later, Rothschild was on the cover of the December 20, 1963 issue of TIME
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine in a story that said he took "over the family's French bank during the disorder of war and defeat, changed its character from stewardship of the family fortune to expansive modern banking."
Following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Guy de Rothschild served as a director of the Banque de France
Banque de France
The Banque de France is the central bank of France; it is linked to the European Central Bank . Its main charge is to implement the interest rate policy of the European System of Central Banks...
. On his father's death, he also inherited part of Château Lafite-Rothschild
Château Lafite-Rothschild
Château Lafite Rothschild is a wine estate in France, owned by members of the Rothschild family since the 19th century. The name Lafite comes from the Gascon term "la hite" meaning "small hill"....
but did not run it.
Georges Pompidou
Georges Pompidou
Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou was a French politician. He was Prime Minister of France from 1962 to 1968, holding the longest tenure in this position, and later President of the French Republic from 1969 until his death in 1974.-Biography:...
, who would later become President and Prime Minister of France
Prime Minister of France
The Prime Minister of France in the Fifth Republic is the head of government and of the Council of Ministers of France. The head of state is the President of the French Republic...
, was recruited by Guy de Rothschild from a job as a teacher, and worked for him from 1953 to 1962, during which time he became the general manager of the Rothschild bank. The bank diversified, from investment management under De Rothschild Frères to the deposit-taking Banque de Rothschild, with branches throughout France. Guy was its president from 1968 to 1978. In 1968 Guy de Rothschild became a partner at N M Rothschild & Sons
N M Rothschild & Sons
N M Rothschild & Sons is a private investment banking company, belonging to the Rothschild family...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, while cousin Sir Evelyn de Rothschild
Evelyn Robert de Rothschild
Sir Evelyn Robert Adrian de Rothschild is a British financier, and a member of the Rothschild family.-Early life:The son of Anthony Gustav de Rothschild and Yvonne Cahen d'Anvers , he was named after his uncle Evelyn Achille de Rothschild who was killed in action in World War I...
was appointed a director of Banque Rothschild, Paris.
Imetal S.A.
In France, Rothschild developed the country's largest private uranium mining company, the Compagnie Française des Minerais d'Uranium.In 1961, Guy de Rothschild took over as Chairman of Imetal S.A. in which the family had a substantial stake. His involvement marked the first time any Rothschild had personally participated in the management of the business. Among its holdings, the international mining conglomerate owned Société Le Nickel (SLN) in New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
. In 1969, SLN acquired Peñarroya, a Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an based company which mined and processed lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
and copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
. Two years later SLN took over La Compagnie de Mokta, which specialized in iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, manganese
Manganese
Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
, sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
, gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
and uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
. Rothschild restructured the family's various mining interests, including Peñarroya which became part of SLN.
Nationalization
In the early 1970s the government of France began nationalizingNationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
a number of industries and after declaring nickel to be a vital market commodity, SLN's assets were nationalized in 1974 and placed under a new company, Société Metallurgique. The result left the Rothschild's SLN as a holding company with a fifty percent interest in Société Metallurgique.
When the Rothschild's bank was nationalized in 1981 by the socialist government of François Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
, a discouraged Guy de Rothschild left France and moved temporarily to New York City. Following another change in government policy, in 1987 a new banking business was established by his son David who founded Rothschild & Cie Banque
Rothschild & Cie Banque
Rothschild & Cie Banque is a French bank and belongs to Rothschild Group. It provides investment banking, asset management, and wealth management services in France....
.
Thoroughbred racing
Guy de Rothschild was a renowned breeder of ThoroughbredThoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
s as the family owns Haras de Meautry
Haras de Meautry
Haras de Meautry in Touques, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France, is a thoroughbred horse breeding farm. It was acquired in the 19th century by horse-racing enthusiast Alphonse James de Rothschild who passed it down to his offspring so that today it is in the hands of Edouard Etienne de...
in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. He inherited Château de Reux in the horse breeding
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
area in Lower Normandy about 125 miles north of Paris. He produced prominent race horses, the most famous perhaps was Exbury
Exbury (horse)
Exbury was a French Thoroughbred racehorse named for the famous Exbury Gardens Estate in Hampshire, England belonging to owner Guy de Rothschild's cousin, Edmund de Rothschild....
.
Guy de Rothschild chaired the association of racehorse breeders in France of 1975 to 1982.
Among the major races Guy de Rothschild's horses won were http://www.france-galop.com/All-the-races.233+M52087573ab0.0.html?&course_id=3153&no_cache=1&numero_id=99:
- Prix de l'Arc de TriomphePrix de l'Arc de TriompheThe Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
- (1) - ExburyExbury (horse)Exbury was a French Thoroughbred racehorse named for the famous Exbury Gardens Estate in Hampshire, England belonging to owner Guy de Rothschild's cousin, Edmund de Rothschild....
(1963) - Critérium InternationalPrix Jean-Luc LagardèreThe Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.It is the oldest and most prestigious race in France...
- (4) - Dragon Blanc (1952), Le Géographe (1953), Soleil (1965), Mariacci (1974) - Grand Prix de ParisGrand Prix de ParisThe Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:...
- (4) - Vieux ManoirVieux ManoirVieux Manoir was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and Champion sire. Bred by Baron Edouard A. de Rothschild and raced by his son Guy following his death in 1949...
(1950), White Label (1964), Soleil Noir (1979), Le Nain Jaune (1982) - Grand Prix de Saint-CloudGrand Prix de Saint-CloudThe Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late June.-History:...
- (3) - Ocarina (1950), Violoncelle (1951), Exbury (1963) - Poule d'Essai des PoulainsPoule d'Essai des PoulainsThe Poule d'Essai des Poulains, sometimes referred to as the French 2,000 Guineas, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts...
- (3) - Guersant (1952), Cobalt (1953), Soleil (1966) - Poule d'Essai des PoulichesPoule d'Essai des PoulichesThe Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, sometimes referred to as the French 1,000 Guineas, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies...
- (2) - Dictaway (1955), Timandra (1960) - Prix de DianePrix de DianeThe Prix de Diane, sometimes referred to as the French Oaks, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies...
- (3) - Cerisoles (1957), Timandra (1960), Hermières (1961) - Prix GanayPrix GanayThe Prix Ganay is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,100 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late April or early May....
- (4) - Guersant (1953), Exbury (1963), Free Ride (1965), Diatome (1966) - Prix Jacques le MaroisPrix Jacques le MaroisThe Prix Jacques Le Marois is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred colts and fillies aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....
- (3) - La Bamba (1964), Luthier (1968), Kenmare (1978) - Prix Jean PratPrix Jean PratThe Prix Jean Prat is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early July.-History:...
- (2) - Tang (1962), Lightning (1977) - Prix MornyPrix MornyThe Prix Morny is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,200 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.-History:...
- (2) - Soleil (1965), Madina (1967) - Prix Royal-OakPrix Royal-OakThe Prix Royal-Oak is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 3,100 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late October.-History:The event was established in 1861, and it was initially...
- (3) - Ciel,oilé (1949), Barbieri (1964), Lady Berry (1973) - Prix Saint-AlaryPrix Saint-AlaryThe Prix Saint-Alary is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
- (2) - Scala (1965), Grise Mine (1984) - Prix VermeillePrix VermeilleThe Prix Vermeille is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.-History:The event was established in 1897, and it...
- (3) - Haltilala (1966), Paysanne (1972, dead-heat), Indian Rose (1988)
Art collector
The French Rothschild family had long been collectors of art beginning with James Mayer de RothschildJames Mayer de Rothschild
James Mayer de Rothschild was a French banker and the original founder of the French branch of the Rothschild family.-Biography:...
made the first significant acquisitions. Notable in his collection, Guy de Rothschild inherited Jan Vermeer's The Astronomer. In 1940 the Nazis confiscated it from his father and sent it to Germany. In 1945 the painting was returned to the Rothschild family and acquired by the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
in 1983.
Philanthropy
In 1950, Guy de Rothschild became the first president of the Fonds Social Juif Unifié (FSJU) (United Jewish Welfare Fund), the major French philanthropic agency for the Jewish community.In 1975, Rothschild and his wife donated the Château de Ferrières
Château de Ferrières
Château de Ferrières is a French château built between 1855 and 1859 by Baron James de Rothschild in the Goût Rothschild. Rothschild ownership of the Château de Ferrières was passed down through the male line according to the rule of primogeniture...
to the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
.
Works
- The Whims of Fortune: The Memoirs of Guy de Rothschild by Guy de Rothschild. Random HouseRandom HouseRandom House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
(1985) ISBN 0-394-54054-9 / Contre bonne fortune (French) by Guy de Rothschild. Belfond (1983). ISBN 2714415504, ISBN 978-2714415509 - The relationship between business and government in France (Benjamin F. Fairless memorial lectures) by Guy de Rothschild. Carnegie-Mellon University press (1983). ASIN: B0006YDWD2
- Le fantôme de Léa: Roman (French) by Guy de Rothschild. Plon (1998). ISBN 225918863X, ISBN 978-2259188630
- Mon ombre siamoise (French) by Guy de Rothschild. Grasset (1993). ISBN 2246470714, ISBN 978-2246470717
Further reading
- Head of French banking family dies
- Obituary, The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, 14 June 2007 - Obituary, The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, 15 June 2007 - Obituary, The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, 18 June 2007 - Obituary, The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, 14 June 2007
External links
- Book review by New York Times: The Whims of Fortune. The Memoirs of Guy de Rothschild
- "New Elan in an Old Clan" TIME Magazine cover story December 20, 1963