Edmond Adolphe de Rothschild

Baron Edmond de Rothschild's first marriage was with the Bulgarian artist Veselinka Vladova Gueorguieva in 1958. They separated shortly afterwards and the union was dissolved. On June 26, 1963, the Baron married the French actress Nadine Nelly Jeannette Lhopitalier, also known by her stage name as Nadine Tallier, whom he had met in 1960. They had a son, Benjamin Edmond Maurice Adolphe Henri Isaac de Rothschild (1963-2021).^[1][4]

Biography

Banking

Edmond de Rothschild attended the International School of Geneva. He studied at the University of Geneva and at the Faculty of Law in Paris.^[1]

Shortly after finishing his studies, Edmond de Rothschild joined the

Edmond de Rothschild invested heavily in the Tel-Aviv-based Israel General Bank, contributing to the newly created State of Israel. He later became president of this institution.[10] After the Six-Day War, the Baron contributed to the creation of the Israel Corporation Investment fund when, in 1968, he was invited alongside other wealthy individuals by Israeli Finance Minister Pinchas Sapir to the so-called Millionaire's Conference. Each guest was asked to invest $100,000 in the creation of the Corporation.^[11] He also promoted major projects in the country via the Clali Bank, another of his ventures in Israel, which he sold in 1996.^[12] The Baron was President of the Caesarea Development Corporation and of the Israel European Company Isrop (in Luxembourg). He contributed to the creation of the Supreme Court building in Jerusalem.^[13] and was the founder of multiple cultural and educational institutions in Israel.^[10]

In 1982, he acquired a 10% share of his cousin

Edmond de Rothschild died of emphysema on 2 November 1997 in Geneva at the age of 71. He was buried at the Château Clarke. His son Benjamin succeeded him at the head of the Compagnie Financière Edmond de Rothschild.^[10][2]

Sailing

At the tail end of the 1960s, Baron Edmond de Rothschild revitalized the family tradition for yacht racing, shifting the focus from motorboats to monohull sailboats. He commissioned six new Gitanas (III to VIII) designed by prominent firms of naval architects. These newfangled ships were successful in competitions such as the RORC races, and the 1965 Fastnet Race won by the Gitana IV.^[15] Being especially fond of larger racing ships, the Baron created the A Class or "Maxi" class, a racing category comprising yachts exceeding 21 m (70 ft) in length.^[16]

In 2001, his son Benjamin founded the Gitana Team of racing yachts.^[15] In 2017, the Gitana Team introduced the 32x23-meter Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (Gitana 17), the offshore racing's first maxi-multihull designed to fly in the open ocean.^[17]

Wines, hospitality, nature

In 1973, Edmond de Rothschild bought

He also held a major stake in Savour Club, a large mail-order wine business.[2] Days before his death, the Baron published Le Culte du Vin in which he recollected his knowledge and experiences in wine production and tasting.^[20] Two special accolades were posthumously named in his honor in 1998: the "Baron Edmond de Rothschild Prize for Young Sommeliers" awarded by the Parisian Sommeliers Association,^[19] and the "Edmond de Rothschild Prize" for best wine book of the year.^[21]

Edmond de Rothschild inherited the Domaine du Mont d'Arbois. In 1960, he bought the Chalet Eve.^[22] Three years later, he expanded and renovated the Palace des Neiges and bought the Gervais Chalet. In 1964, he integrated a golf course designed by British golfer Sir Henry Cotton to the domain. In 1979, the chalet was rehabilitated as a hotel and renamed Chalet du Mont d'Arbois.^[23]

Edmond de Rothschild owned a 4,000-acre land east of Paris, acquired by his ancestors during the 18th century, where he established the farm Domaine des Trente Arpents which mainly produced the artisanal cheese Brie de Meaux.^[24]

Philanthropy

Edmond Adolphe de Rothschild gave furniture, tapestries, and paintings to the

In France, Edmond de Rothschild supported the children's welfare association Œuvre pour la protection des enfants juifs (OPEJ), originally founded to aid children of Jewish victims of the Vichy-era deportations. He became its president in 1969, offering OPEJ the Château de Maubuisson north of Paris (Val d'Oise). Under his guidance, the OPEJ was opened to all children regardless of faith or family background in 1981. Nadine de Rothschild continued this work after her husband's death. The institution has been presided by members of his family ever since.^[28]

Edmond de Rothschild's grandfather, Baron

• 1990: Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres^[10]
• 1994: Officier of the Legion of Honour^[10]

See also

• Rothschild family
• Edmond de Rothschild Group
• Edmond de Rothschild Heritage
• Edmond de Rothschild Foundations

Further reading

• Herbert R. Lottman (31 December 1995). The Return of the Rothschilds. I.B. Tauris.
  ISBN 9781850439141
  .
• Diane Elisabeth Poirier (November 2016). Gitana: 140 Years of Rothschild Yachting History. Harry N. Abrams.
  ISBN 978-1419722806
  .