Alphonse James de Rothschild | |
---|---|
Born |
Paris, France |
1 February 1827
Died | 26 May 1905 Paris, France |
(aged 78)
Residence | Paris, Ferrières-en-Brie |
Nationality | French |
Occupation | Financier, vineyard owner, philanthropist, art collector, racehorse owner/breeder |
Board member of | de Rothschild Frères, Banque de France, Château Lafite Rothschild, Société Le Nickel |
Spouse(s) | Leonora de Rothschild (1837–1911) |
Children | Bettina Caroline (1858–1892) Lionel James Mayer (1861–1861) Charlotte Béatrice (1864–1934) Édouard Alphonse James (1868–1949) |
Parent(s) | James Mayer de Rothschild (1792–1868) and Betty de Rothschild (1805–1886) |
Awards | Grand Cross, Legion of Honor |
Signature | |
Mayer Alphonse James Rothschild (1 February 1827 – 26 May 1905), was a French financier, vineyard owner, art collector, philanthropist, racehorse owner/breeder and a member of the prominent Rothschild banking family of France.
Known as Alphonse, he was the eldest son of James Mayer de Rothschild (1792–1868). His mother was Betty de Rothschild (1805–1886), the daughter of Salomon Mayer von Rothschild from the Austrian branch of the family. Alphonse was educated to take his place at the head of de Rothschild Frères bank, training in the other Rothschild banking houses in Europe. In France he soon became a major force in the financial world and in 1855 was appointed a regent of the Banque de France, a position he held for the remainder of his life.
In 1857 Alphonse de Rothschild married a cousin, Leonora "Laure" de Rothschild (1837–1911), the daughter of Lionel de Rothschild (1808–1879) of the English branch of the family. They had four children. Their firstborn, Bettina Caroline (1858–1892), married Albert Salomon von Rothschild.
Alphonse and his brother Gustave developed somewhat of a rivalry with their English cousin Nathaniel de Rothschild who had moved to Paris after marrying their sister Charlotte. Nathaniel worked at de Rothschild Frères bank and in 1853 he purchased the Château Brane Mouton vineyard in Pauillac in the Médoc wine growing region. Nathaniel's Mouton vineyard received a second-growth ranking in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. Just three months before their father died in 1868, Alphonse and Gustave convinced him to buy the more prestigious First Growth Château Lafite vineyard in Pauillac when it came up for sale.