Michel David-Weill

Michel David-Weill (November 23, 1932 – June 16, 2022) was a French investment banker and chairman of Lazard and Eurazeo. Early life Michel David-Weill was born into a Jewish family on November 23, 1932. His father, Pierre David-Weill (1900–1975), was the chairman of Lazard Frères; his mother was Berthe Haardt. His great-grandfather, , worked at Lazard Frères, a firm co-founded by his cousins, Alexandre, Elie, and Simon Lazard. In 1900, his grandfather, David David-Weill, was named a partner. In 1927, his father became a partner. Aged 8, at the dawn of the World War II he fled Paris with his mother and sister to save themselves from Nazis. Separated from his father, who was in New York City during World War II, David-Weill remained behind with his mother in occupied France. During the last year of Nazi occupation, at age 11, he lived with his mother and younger sister in the French village of Béduer (Lot, southwestern France), where they were baptized and raised as Roman Catholics (his father Pierre would later convert to Catholicism in 1965). Then he went to reunite with his father in New York City where he studied at the Lycée Français de New York with other war refugees such as Baron Pierre de Gunzburg. After World War II was over, he stayed in the United States to live in New York City with his family. David-Weill was also educated at the Sciences Po Paris. Career David-Weill started his public life by serving in French military. In 1956, David-Weill joined Lazard Freres, and, in 1961, became a partner. Under the stewardship of chairman André Meyer, Felix Rohatyn, who handled acquisitions, and he himself, who was the bookkeeper, Lazard grew rapidly. In 1975, his father died and he inherited his equity stake in Lazard, becoming the largest stakeholder in both Lazard New York and Lazard Paris, while also holding stakes in Lazard London. In 1977, when Meyer became sick and Rohatyn turned down an offer to replace him, David-Weill was named chairman. He continued to work closely with managing director, Felix Rohatyn, who was also made senior partner at Lazard in 1961. Also, by the power provided in clause 4.1 of the Lazard partnership agreement, he alone had the power to set compensations and the right to fire any partners at his discretion.