Baron Benjamin de Rothschild Dead: Billionaire Dies of Heart Attack

Baron Benjamin de Rothschild, a prominent global philanthropist and Swiss financier, has died suddenly at the age of 57, according to the Edmond de Rothschild group whose board of directors he chaired.

“It is with deep regret and great sadness that Edmond de Rothschild Group announces the passing of Benjamin de Rothschild following a heart attack at his home in Pregny (Switzerland) in the afternoon of 15 January 2021,” the group’s statement says. His net worth was more than $1.5 billion, according to Forbes, which calls him a “descendant of the French Rothschild banking family.”

The Gitana Team also issued a statement announcing that de Rothschild had died, according to Sail-World.

“Thanks to his commitment, Benjamin de Rothschild enabled a whole generation of sailors to express themselves on the finest boats of the time, as is the case right now for the crew of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, currently in the midst of an attempt to secure the round the world sailing record, the Jules Verne Trophy,” Sail-World quoted the team as saying.

Here’s what you need to know:

De Rothschild Took Over a Group Founded by His Father

GettyA photo taken on October 20, 1987, in Paris shows French-Swiss banker, the founder of the Edmond de Rothschild Group, Baron Edmond de Rothschild and his wife, former actress Nadine Tallier.

According to the Edmond de Rothschild Group, Benjamin de Rothschild was born on July 30, 1963, the son of Edmond and Nadine de Rothschild. “At the head of the group created by his father since 1997, he developed it in an exceptional way during all these years,” the group’s news release says. His father’s parents fled to Switzerland during World War II, according to Bloomberg.

Forbes reports that the group “manages over $175 billion in assets, with interests from banks in France and Switzerland to restaurants and hotels.”

“Visionary entrepreneur, passionate about finance, speed, sailing and automobiles, wine enthusiast, Benjamin de Rothschild was also an active philanthropist, namely involved in developing innovation within the Adolphe de Rothschild Foundation Hospital. With his unique character, Benjamin de Rothschild never ceased to transform and modernise his legacy, in line with the family’s values,” the press release from the Edmond de Rothschild Group says.

According to Monaco Daily News, his wife released a statement to AFP that read, “Ariane de Rothschild and her daughters are deeply saddened to announce the death of their husband and father, Benjamin de Rothschild following a heart attack at the family home in Pregny (Switzerland) on the afternoon of January 15, 2021.”

He Created a Racing Stable & Helped Israeli Hospitals Combat the COVID-19 Pandemic

De Rothschild created the Gitana Team, described by Sail-World as a “high-tech offshore racing stable dedicated to performance and team spirit.”

Victories followed in the Route du Rhum, The Transat, the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Transat Jacques Vabre, as well as the Orma grands prix.

According to Jerusalem Post, he was considered “a world-renowned entrepreneur … an expert in finance and innovation.” In April, the site reported the baron and his wife donated millions of dollars for medical equipment for 22 Israeli hospitals to help them with the pandemic.

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