The Rothschild Empire Anoints an Heir

Alexandre de Rothschild says his father always told him to “do what you want—if you want to play tennis, go ahead.” Alexandre, now 32, did not devote his life to perfecting his serve, breeding horses, or the other pursuits one might imagine are available to a scion of the world’s biggest family-owned bank. Instead, he took jobs at other financial firms before joining the family business four years ago, becoming the seventh generation of a banking dynasty that can be traced to the 18th century.

Today, as the firm undergoes a generational shift to younger bankers, he’s being groomed to run Rothschild and succeed his 69-year-old father, David, within five years, according to three people with direct knowledge of the plan. “Whether it’s chairman, CEO, one, the other, both—it could take various forms and there’s no timing pressure,” says Alexandre. His father, David de Rothschild, isn’t worried about his readiness. “What I observe of Alexandre’s attitude and behavior and what colleagues tell me is very comforting,” he says. “But again, he’s not under pressure to be more visible or add titles. Things are progressing as they should.”