William Louis-Dreyfus

Born in Paris France in 1932, Gérard C. Louis-Dreyfus grew up in Paris before moving to America when his parents divorced. His father, Pierre Louis-Dreyfus, who worked for the family’s agriculture processing giant Louis Dreyfus Group, was also a part of the French Resistance in World War II. His mother was the American-born daughter of a Brazilian father and a Mexican mother. He was a billionaire businessman who started his career as a lawyer, working for a New York City law firm after graduating from Duke University’s School of Law. He then went on to serve as the chairman of Louis Dreyfus Energy Services. Though he was perhaps best known for his business endeavors, Louis-Dreyfus had a creative side, too: He was a poet, and served as chairman of the Poetry Society of America for 10 years. He was also an avid art collector, and accumulated a collection of works by more than 170 artists estimated to be worth as much as $50 million. However, he doesn’t leave his the bulk of collection behind in death: He donated a huge chunk to The Harlem Children’s Zone, a New York-based non-profit that aims to support low-income and underprivileged young people. He leaves behind three daughters and his wife, Phyllis B. Louis-Dreyfus.