Lord Jacob Rothschild, a senior member of one of Europe’s most influential banking dynasties, has died at 87 years of age. Rothschild was described by his family as “a superbly accomplished financier, a champion of the arts and culture, a devoted public servant, a passionate supporter of charitable causes in Israel and Jewish culture, a keen environmentalist and much-loved friend, father and grandfather” in a statement released after his death.
The Rothschild family rose to prominence in the 18th century, when Mayer Amschel Rothschild founded the Rothschild banking dynasty in the 1760s. Jacob Rothschild is a decedent of Mayer Amschel Rothschild, and co-founded J Rothschild Assurance Group in 1963 after starting his career at the family’s bank NM Rothschild & Sons.
Former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair released a tribute to Rothschild, stating on X, “Jacob was a dear friend and a wonderful human being. I will miss him immensely. He was of course a towering figure in Britain’s Jewish community but his impact was global in his support for great causes, including in the arts and the environment, and in his tireless work to advance peace in the Middle East. My deepest condolences to Hannah and all the Rothschild family.”
