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How rich is the Rothschild family?
Due to the more than 200-year history of the group, especially with its diverse interdependencies, it is not possible to name the assets of the Rothschild family exactly. What is certain is that it goes far beyond the balance sheet totals from the banking business. Taking net active worth alone, the Rothschild family has an estimated net worth of $300 billion . An asset value of over two trillion dollars was also estimated, which also illuminates all economic goods. The number would be written out: 2,000,000,000,000, with 12 zeros. The total assets of the Rothschild family thus amount to two trillion dollars, the equivalent of around 1.6 trillion euros.
It originally started on a small scale: from the merchants in Frankfurt’s Judengasse, the Rothschilds then became the most important financial dynasty of the 19th century. The Rothschild family is an example of the rise and influence of a globally operating family company. His heirs are still big names in the financial world and are involved in many ways. This Rothschild family also has a very great power worldwide. In addition, the name Rothschild has also become very established in other areas.
The Frankfurt Beginnings – The Road to Gigantic Fortune
The origins of the Rothschilds go back to the 16th century and lie in the Frankfurt Jewish ghetto. It was the merchant Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744 – 1812), son of a simple money changer, who encouraged his five sons to go into the banking business.
The initiator here was Nathan Mayer Rotschild (1777 – 1836), who went to Manchester as a merchant in 1798. He then moved to London in 1809 and successfully founded a bank there . His path should be exemplary for the four brothers James, Salomon, Amschel and Carl in building up the family company.
In addition to the parent company in Frankfurt, the Rothschild banks were located in major European cities: Paris, London, Vienna and also in Naples. Each of the brothers ran a bank . The list of customers reads like a who’s who of 19th-century political figures. Among them were, for example, the French Emperor Napoleon III, as well as the Austrian statesman Metternich and the later German Chancellor Bismarck.
Influence and importance of the Rothschild family
The Rothschild family played and continues to play a leading role in historical events and developments. All in all, thanks to a highly professional courier network, she was able to draw great profits from the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Earlier than the UK Cabinet briefed, she used the information to speculate successfully on the London Stock Exchange .
The construction of the Suez Canal (opened in 1869) was carried out with a large financial contribution from the Rothschild family.
Now in its 7th generation, the Rothschild family is still involved in international banking . In addition to their economic importance, the Rothschilds have also made a name for themselves in other areas. Members of the family were active as politicians, scientists and art collectors. Also closely associated with the name Rothschild are world-famous wineries in Bordeaux.
European possessions
In the 19th century, the Rothschilds had magnificent villas, castles and town houses built by well-known architects. Most of the possessions were in France and England, including around 30 buildings in France alone, such as Ferrières Castle (1855-1859) in Ferrières-en-Brie or the Château de Vallière (1894) in Picardy.
Traces can also be found in other European countries. In 1841, Carl von Rothschild acquired the neoclassical Villa Acton-Pignatelli in Naples. The property now belongs to the city of Naples and is used as a museum. In Switzerland, not far from Geneva, is the Pregny Castle inhabited by Benjamin de Rothschild .
In Germany, there are buildings in the Frankfurt area. The address Untermainkai 14/15 is worth mentioning. The Jewish Museum of the City of Frankfurt is located in the villa bought by Carl von Rothschild in 1846.
There are other castles and country houses in Austria, for example the former Rothschild Castle in Waidhofen an der Ybbs or Rothschild Castle in Reichenau an der Rax in Lower Austria. Several representative palaces were built in Vienna on behalf of the family . In 1876, the French star architect Gabriel-Hippolyte Destailleur designed a magnificent building for Albert von Rothschild at Heugasse 24-26.
Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire, England, built between 1874 and 1883 in the style of the French Renaissance, also came from Destailleur’s hand. The castle complex also houses the extensive art collection of Baron Ferdinand von Rothschild and can be visited together with the surrounding gardens.
Rothschild wines near Bordeaux
World-renowned wineries are associated with the Rothschild name, such as Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château Lafite-Rothschild, both in Pauillac on the Médoc Peninsula near Bordeaux / France. Top red wines are made here from the famous grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Only a very small proportion is made up of white grape varieties. A Rothschild wine is definitely a really noble drop, and the price for such a bottle is correspondingly high. Of course, the wine is priced from to. A Rotschild wine is definitely a noble and special gift.
Rothschild family financial activities today
From the former 19th century dynasty, these three subsequent multinational financial and banking groups have emerged:
Paris-Orléans
The largest group is Paris-Orléans, originally founded in 1838 as a railway company . Since the merger of the French and British branches of the Rothschild family (2008), the company has been the central holding company of the Rothschild family. Its main business areas are:
- Advice on the financing of corporate mergers and acquisitions
- Investment advice and management for private and institutional investors
- Financial advice to corporate clients and private equity activities (over-the-counter equity)
Balance sheet total 2011: 8,616 billion euros.
Banque Privée Edmond de Rothschild SA
Based in Geneva, Banque Privée Edmond de Rothschild SA specializes in wealth management. In 2010, the balance sheet total was 4,126 billion euros. In addition to the Geneva headquarters, there are branches in Freiburg and Lausanne, as well as a subsidiary in Lugano.
RIT Capital Partners PLC
The third Rothschild family company is RIT Capital Partners PLC, founded in 1961 by the UK branch of the Rothschilds and managed by Jacob Rothschild to make investments outside of their bank NM Rothschild & Sons. The investment company naturally operates internationally and primarily acquires shares in listed and private companies. In 2012, 37% of the shares were also acquired from the Rockefeller family ‘s financial group via this company . This is how two of the most powerful families on this planet merged and the Rothschild family can continue to expand their power in the USA.