Edouard Stern

Édouard Stern (October 18 1954 - March 1 2005) was a French banker. Born in Paris, he was son of the banker Antoine Jean Elie Stern and Christiane Laroche.

Edouard Stern, the "Mozart of finance", was one of France's richest men. His fortune placed him at 38th in a list of France's richest citizens. He was born in 1954 to one of France’s wealthiest families, the owners of Banque Stern, a private investment house. He studied at the Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales in Paris. He had a reputation as one of the most unpleasant and ruthless businessmen who invariably over-played his hand with his enemies. He had been censured in the UK for insider dealing in Consolidated Goldfields which was in the middle of a takeover battle in which Lazards was involved. He also bought into British engineering company, Delta forming an illegal concert party with his friends and associates, but failing to declare these. He made himself Chairman.

He lived separately and was divorced from his wife, Béatrice David-Weil, who lived in New York with their three children, Mathilde, Louis and Henri.

Death

Edouard Stern was found dead on March 1, 2005 in Geneve, Switzerland. His body, clothed in a latex suit, was found in his bedroom shot four times. He was dressed from head to toe in a latex rubber suit with a dildo inserted into his rectum. He was known to be interested in heterosexual sado-masochistic sex. His killer was his long-term lover and notorious S&M prostitute, Cecile Brossard who was also called "Alice". His death was unmourned by his many and various enemies both in Europe and in the US. Despite the initial rumours that he had been assassinated by one of the many people he had double crossed in business during the course of his previous years alive, the truth was less prosaic and he was killed by his mistress. He was buried near Geneva, (Switzerland) in the village of Veyrier in the Jewish cemetery there on March 10, 2005.

"The one thing I detest is incompetence," was one of his best-known sayings, although even that was ironic given the number of disastrous decisions and investments he had made in business, most notably his involvement in Rhodia.

References in Popular Culture

The story of Edouard Stern is cited as the inspiration for Olivier Assayas' 2008 film 'Boarding Gate' [ [http://www.memento-films.com/www/docs_films/boardingGate/DP%20Bording%20Gate%20BD.pdf Memento Films press release] for the film 'Boarding Gate', retrieved May 25, 2008] .

See also

* Rhodia (company)

References

External links

* [http://antg.cand.com.vn/vi-VN/vuan/2005/3/50953.cand Edouard Stern 1985]
* [http://www.lyonne-republicaine.fr/dossiers/economie/divers/20050307.YON_D8797.html Edouard Stern] (fr)
* [http://www.tdg.ch/tghome/toute_l_info_test/dossiers0/edouard_stern/enterrement__11_03.html Cimetière juif de Veyrier] (fr)
* [http://www.ttc.org/cgi-binloc/searchTTC.cgi?displayZop+25190 FRENCH FINANCE MINISTRY, RHODIA RAIDED IN CORPORATE ACCOUNTS PROBE]
* [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05181/531080.stm Rhodia probe keeps dogging French official]
* [http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9069-1674267,00.html French minister plays down Rhodia allegations]
* [http://www.latribune.fr/News/News.nsf/AllByID/AP-JUSTICE-RHODIA-BRETON*-Affaire-Rhodia--perquisitions-validees?OpenDocument Affaire Rhodia: perquisitions validées] (fr)
* [http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2006/03/28/afx2627126.html Rhodia probe raids are ruled legal by appeal court]
* [http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/03/04/news/banker.php Murdered banker was wearing a latex suit, newspapers report]
* [http://www.edouardstern.com www.edouardstern.com]