“Lord Jacob Rothschild has died aged 87,” his family said. He was “patriarch” a family considered by many to be the most powerful, politically and financially influential on the planet.
The Rothschild family stated: “Our father Jacob was an influential figure in many people’s lives and will be buried according to Jewish customs in a small family ceremony.”
A member of a prominent British banking dynasty, Rothschild became chairman of the board of directors of RIT Capital Partners in 1988 and left his post in 2019. According to the Financial Times, from 2003 to 2008, Rothschild was deputy chairman of the board of directors of the television company BSkyB. He was also an active philanthropist, serving as Chairman of the National Gallery from 1985 to 1991 and Chairman of the Heritage Lottery Fund from 1994 to 1998.
In a tweet posted to X, the Rothschild Foundation said it was “deeply saddened to announce the death of Lord Rothschild, businessman, entrepreneur, philanthropist and cultural leader.” “He will be greatly missed by his family, colleagues and many friends,” they added.
Rothschild was educated at Eton College and then studied history at Christ Church College, Oxford University. He also founded Windmill Hill Asset Management to manage the family’s philanthropic portfolio and served as chairman of the board of trustees of The Rothschild Foundation.
One of his largest charitable projects was the construction of the Waddesdon estate in Buckinghamshire. In 1988, his cousin Dorothy de Rothschild appointed him as a trustee on behalf of the National Trust.
He was married for more than 50 years to Serena, who died in 2019, with whom he had four children – Hannah, Beth, Emily and Nat – and many grandchildren.
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