Otto Beit
Sir Otto John Beit, 1st Baronet, KCMG, FRS[1] (7 December 1865 – 7 December 1930) was a German-born British financier, philanthropist and art connoisseur.[2]
Life history and career
Beit was born in
Despite playing a prominent part in the Witwatersrand gold industry, he returned to London, partly because he did not want to confine his interests solely to financial activities, but also to cultivate his scientific, artistic and cultural tastes. He became a naturalised British citizen in 1896.
He fell under the spell of Cecil Rhodes's imperialist vision and was his house-guest at the time of the Jameson Raid. On his return to London, he followed for a few years the career of stockbroker and continued with his interest in the mining industry until the death of his brother Alfred, after which he retired and devoted himself for the remainder of his life to philanthropy.
Directorates and memberships
Director, Rhodesia Railways Ltd; Member, Governing Body of
He administered both the Rhodes Trust and the Beit Trust, through which he became involved in land settlement schemes in Southern Africa. He served as director of the
He was no less generous to public collections in the United Kingdom, helping the
He received an Honorary
On 27 May 1897, he married Lilian Carter, the daughter of Thomas Lane Carter of
References
- .
- doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/30677. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ "No. 31712". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1919. p. 4.
- ^ "No. 32929". The London Gazette. 22 April 1924. p. 3295.
Further reading
- Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa Vol.2 (Nasou, Cape Town 1970) ISBN 0-625-00320-9
External links
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