Only two members of the Rothschild banking family made the Forbes World Billionaires List: Nathaniel (Nat) Rothschild was ranked last on Forbes’ list in 2012 placed at 1,153. Baron Benjamin de Rothschild ranked 1,851 on the billionaire’s list in 2020.
Although the Rothschild family members do not appear on the Forbes billionaire’s list, for about 200 years this Jewish family was considered the world’s wealthiest family. Are they still the richest?
Even today, in spite of the fact that the family keeps its business affairs a secret, we know the Rothschild family owns 25 banks and investment firms worldwide. They own shares in eight of the world’s ten largest financial organizations, and control 70% of the wine market in Europe, according to CA knowledge.
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Through diversification and constant adaptation to new trends, the family has maintained control of their riches for decades. Today they are actively involved in real estate, mixed farming, energy, and mining. The family is also one of the biggest philanthropists.
With a fortune of more than $500 billion according to Forbes, the Rothschilds hold one of the largest private fortunes in the world. Some say they will reach $1 trillion in the next few years. So, the answer is YES. They are still the world’s richest family.
Starting in the 1700s with a peak during the 19th century, the noble banking family Rothschild become a symbol of power, status, and immense wealth which has frequently been subject to conspiracy theories.
The Rothschild dynasty amassed its fortunes modestly in Frankfurt, Germany with founder Mayer Amschel Rothschild, and eventually became one all eyes up to them.
Members of the family have married into royalty and formed alliances with similarly affluent families such as the Rockefellers and, just recently, the Hiltons, following the marriage of James Rothschild, the grandson of the third Baron Rothschild, to Nicky Hilton in 2015.
Although the family is no longer as dominant or powerful as they once were, their business ventures continue to grow.
According to CA knowledge, the Rockefeller family fortune is worth $360 billion. Investopedia claims these are the 10 richest families:
1 – Walton Family (retail): $238 billion
2 – Mars Family (candy) : $142 billion
3 – Koch Family ( oil business): $124 billion
4 – Hermès Family (French fashion house): $112 billion
5 – Al Saud (Saudi Royal Family): $100 billion
6 – Ambani Family (Indian industrial): $94 billion
7 – Wertheimer Family (Jewish family, French fashion house Chanel): $62 billion
8 – Johnson Family (financial services): $61 billion
9 – Thomson Family (Thomson Reuters, the media company): $61 billion
10 – Boehringer, von Baumbach Families (German pharmaceutical): $59 billion
The family net worth according to Forbes is $500 billion. Some estimations reach a breathtaking $1 trillion.
Jacob Rothschild’s Net Worth is $5 Billion
The British 4th Baron Rothschild, Jacob Rothschild, 85, is the father of Nathaniel (Nat) Rothschild, whose estimated fortune is $5 billion, according to TheRichest. He is a British peer and investment banker who has worked for a number of London-based institutions and owns interests in investment trusts, wealth management enterprises, and oil and gas. He also has political ties and is a notable benefactor and patron of the arts in the United Kingdom, for which he has received a slew of important honors and accolades.
Next-generation: Nathaniel (Nat) Rothschild Worth ONLY $1 Billion?
Nathaniel (Nat) Rothschild, 50, an English-born who settled in Switzerland, is the son of the 4th Baron Rothschild, Jacob Rothschild.
Nathaniel, a graduate of Eton College and Oxford University, has expanded on his family’s experience and established a diverse range of commercial interests, having worked for hedge funds and invested extensively in global coal mining. His net worth is estimated to be $1 billion.
British outlet The Observer claimed Rothschild’s actual inheritance “hidden in a series of trusts in Switzerland is rumored to be worth £40 billion.”
Ariane de Rothschild Inherited $1.5 Billion
Baron Benjamin de Rothschild a French financier and vineyard owner, died of a heart attack at age 57 in 2021.
His widow, Ariane, inherited her husband’s immense fortune, which was estimated at roughly $1.5 billion at the time of his death.
Benjamin, the son of Edmond Adolphe, head of the family’s French branch, was one of the Rothschild family’s wealthiest members at the time of his death. He married Ariane in 1999 and the couple has four daughters together. She is a banker herself and the first female head of a Rothschild banking institution. Ariane is chairwoman of Edmond de Rothschild Suisse, while Benjamin was chairman of the group.
Next-generation: James Rothschild is worth an estimated $1.3 billion
James Rothschild, 36, is another affluent member of the Rothschild family. The British financier and banking heir is employed by Rothschild Asset Management, one of the world’s major financial companies. He is the son of the late Amschel Rothschild, one of the family’s wealthiest members.
James is also well-known for his glamorous marriage to a similarly wealthy heiress and socialite Nicky Hilton in 2015, at Kensington Palace, with Nicky’s sister Paris serving as maid of honor. The couple has two daughters Lily and Theodora.
Next-generation: David Mayer de Rothschild Net Worth $10 Billion
David Mayer, 43, is perhaps the most empowering of all the Rothschilds. He founded his own music merchandise company and sold it at the age of twenty. He is a well-known adventurer and environmentalist who has participated in various arctic and tropical missions and sailed on the ship Plastiki to raise awareness about ocean plastic waste.
The avid environmentalist has garnered widespread acclaim for his work and has authored a series of books about his travels to isolated locations.
According to several estimates, his net worth is estimated to be around $10 billion, which stems from his significant inheritances.
Sir Evelyn de Rothschild’s net worth is $20 billion
Sir Evelyn De Rothschild, 90, is a financier who served as HM Queen Elizabeth II’s financial advisor.
He served as chairman of Rothschild’s Continuation Holdings AG and as co-chairman of Rothschild Bank AG in Zurich, as well as non-executive chairman of N M Rothschild & Sons. He has worked in a variety of industries and financial organizations.
Sir Evelyn De Rothschild has held a variety of posts in Economics, the Arts, Medical Research, and Political Science, in addition to being an outspoken advocate of charitable causes.
His third wife, Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, is an American-British businesswoman who is the chief executive officer of E.L. Rothschild, a holding company she owns with him.
David René de Rothschild: net worth unknown
David René de Rothschild, 79, who was born in the United States after his parents fled the Nazis, has wished to rebuild the family business after then-President François Mitterrand nationalized the family’s French arm. David founded a new French bank in 1982 and assumed management leadership in the K operations in 2004 following the retirement of his cousin Evelyn de Rothschild.
He formerly served as chairman of De Beers. Since May 2013, de Rothschild has chaired the World Jewish Congress’s Governing Board, the international Jewish organization that represents Jewish communities in 100 countries.
Next-generation: Alexandre de Rothschild
Alexandre de Rothschild, 41, became in May 2018 the Executive Chairman of Rothschild & Co Gestion, the bank’s seventh-generation president, following a long-planned succession that saw his father, René de Rothschild, 75, become chairman of the supervisory board.
Alexandre joined the financial advice group more than a decade ago after working at various financial organizations. Previously, he held positions in investment banking and private equity at Bear Stearns and Bank of America in New York and London.
“Rothschild & Co Group has developed into a global business with three well-established brands,” de Rothschild said in a statement.
