Gérard Louis-Dreyfus
Gérard C. Louis-Dreyfus | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gérard C. Louis-Dreyfus 1932 |
| Nationality | French |
| Other names | William Louis-Dreyfus |
| Occupation | investor |
| Employer | self employed |
| Title | Ex Chairman of Louis Dreyfus Energy Services |
| Spouse(s) | Phyllis B. Louis-Dreyfus (to present) Judith Bowles (to 1962) |
| Children | Julia Louis-Dreyfus Phoebe Emily Dominique Louis-Dreyfus Eavis Emma R. Louis-Dreyfus |
William Louis-Dreyfus (born Gérard C. Louis-Dreyfus; 1932) is a French-born American businessman. With his family's net worth estimated at $2.9 billion by Forbes, he is one of the richest men in the world.[1] He is the chairman of Louis Dreyfus Energy Services and the great grandson of Léopold Louis-Dreyfus, founder of Louis Dreyfus Group.[2] He is the father of Emmy and Golden Globe winning actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Life
Louis-Dreyfus was born in Paris. His father was Pierre Louis-Dreyfus, a French Jew who fought in the French Resistance during World War II.[3] In 1940, he moved to the United States with his American mother after her divorce from Pierre. By 1945 he had adopted the name William as a symbol of his integration into American society.
While in France he retains the name Gérard; in the US he is William. After graduating from Trinity College of Arts and Sciences at Duke University and Duke University School of Law, he worked at the law firm of Dewey Ballantine, New York, before joining Louis Dreyfus in 1965.
Louis-Dreyfus is said to be a distant relative to Alfred Dreyfus (9 October 1859 – 12 July 1935), the French artillery officer of Jewish background who was falsely convicted in 1894 on charges of treason.
Family
Immediate family
First Wife: Judith Bowles. Separated, 1962.
Child With Judith Bowles:
- actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, born January 13, 1961, co-star, in the role of Elaine Benes, of the hit NBC television sitcom Seinfeld, and Emmy winning star of the current CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine.
Second Wife: Phyllis B. Louis-Dreyfus.
Children With Phyllis Louis-Dreyfus:
- social worker Phoebe Émilie Dominique Louis-Dreyfus Eavis, born May, 1968.
- social worker Emma R. Louis-Dreyfus, born 1974.
Gérard Louis-Dreyfus is said to have two other children, Rover and Bethlehem, also by Phyllis Louis-Dreyfus.
Cousins
One cousin is Jean Louis-Dreyfus, grandson of the family business founder, Léopold Louis-Dreyfus. Another cousin is Robert Louis-Dreyfus, the former chief executive officer of Adidas.
See also
References
- ^ Forbes.com "Gérard Louis-Dreyfus & family". Forbes.com. 2004. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ "Gerard Louis Dreyfus Executive Biography". Louis Dreyfus Group. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
- ^ http://www.canada.com/tvtropolis/story.html?id=1375fbf0-e748-4bfc-9729-d2b6e065bec7
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