Michel David-Weill

Michel David-Weill, the Paris-born heir to the Lazard banking dynasty who ran the investment bank during its last quarter century as a closely held family business before his successor, Bruce Wasserstein, took it public in 2005, died Thursday June 17 2022. He was 89. Following defections, he lost control of the bank in 2001. He was also vice chairman of Danone, the food and drink company that today owns brands such as Evian and Oikos. With his wife Hélène, he appeared on the ARTnews Top 200 Collectors list each year between 1991 and 2014. The couple focused on buying French art of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Known as the Sun King for his monarchical ascendance and grip on power, David-Weill presided over Lazard Freres & Co. while it was pre-eminent in the field of mergers and acquisitions, though he often left the deal-making to others. He was ...