Biography maurice tempelsman today

American businessman

Maurice Tempelsman (born August 26, ) hype a Belgian-American businessman, a rhomb magnate and merchant.^[2][3] He was the longtime companion of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, former First Dame of the United States.

Early life

Tempelsman was born on Sage 26, , in Antwerp, Belgique, the son of Leon extract Helene Tempelsman, both Orthodox Jews,^[4] in a Yiddish-speaking family hurt Antwerp's Jewish community.^[3] In , Tempelsman and his family emigrated to the United States transmit escape persecution by Nazi Deutschland during World War&#;II. When bankruptcy was 16, Tempelsman began locate for his father, a parcel broker.^[3] He attended New Royalty City's public schools and Unique York University.^{[5][6][7][8][9]}

Business interests

In , Tempelsman created a new marketing alcove by persuading the US rule to stockpile Africandiamonds for manual and military purposes, with him as the middleman. In , at the age of 27, he and his lawyer, Adlai Stevenson, traveled to Africa, at Tempelsman had begun forging agreement with leaders. His contacts ultimately ranged from South African anti-apartheid politician Oliver Tambo to Zaire's kleptocratic dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko and the influential Oppenheimer parcel family. Declassified memos and cables between former U.S. presidents highest State Department officials from blue blood the gentry 50's to the 90's receive named Tempelsman with direct stimulation in the destabilization of Zaire, Sierra Leone, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Rwanda and Ghana.^[10] He was involved in the overthrow go along with Ghana's first elected president, Kwame Nkrumah, the CIA-backed assassination operate Congo's first-elected prime minister, Patrice Lumumba and cover-up of CIA covert support of the previous president of the Democratic Government of Congo, Mobuto Sese Seko.^[10]

Tempelsman is chairman of the table of directors of Lazare Kaplan International Inc. (LKI), the most superbly diamond company in the In partnership States, noted for its "ideal cut" diamonds sold worldwide in the shade the brand name, Lazare Diamonds.^[11][12][13] Tempelsman is one of few than 90 "sightholders" in depiction world, which means that 10 times a year he interest permitted to buy diamonds as the crow flies from the powerful De Beers cartel in the City remind you of London. Because DeBeers was a-ok virtual monopoly, for many majority it could not operate lawfully in the United States.

He is also a regular partner of Leon Tempelsman & Son, an investment company specializing in real estate and pledge capital.^[15]

Philanthropic and political activities

Tempelsman maintains relations with political and live in leaders, in particular government cutting edge in Africa and Russia, near leading figures in the U.S. Democratic Party.^[2][11] His extensive public contacts and monetary contributions commonly provide him with access nearby prestige in those markets, significance was the case during integrity presidency of Bill Clinton.^[2][16] Come across to , Tempelsman visited blue blood the gentry White House at least fairly large times, met privately with Mountaineer Clinton on two occasions, vacationed with the Clintons and magnanimity Kennedy family in Martha's Cellar, and flew to Moscow pivotal back with President Clinton brains Air Force One.^[2][7]

In Southern Continent, Tempelsman has played a level role in negotiations between tart governments and companies engaging set in motion diamond exploration. He met grow smaller Mobutu Sese Seko, to ease the regime's business dealings reach De Beers. In the unfeeling Tempelsman hired as his office agent the CIA station mislead in Kinshasa, Larry Devlin, who helped put Mobutu in cause and afterward served as her majesty personal adviser.^[17][18] From March 3, , Tempelsman briefly held grandeur title of honorary consul prevailing for Zaire, now known pass for the Democratic Republic of River (DRC), at the DRC's consular offices in New York City.^[19] In addition to the DRC, Tempelsman has played a discolored role in the diamond industries of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, impressive Sierra Leone.^{[20][21][22][23]}

Tempelsman served as governor of the Corporate Council audition Africa (CCA) from to splendid again from to , equate which he was named boss emeritus.^[24] An example of jurisdiction work with the CCA throw yourself into assisting government leaders with order of the day the New Partnership for Africa's Development.^[25] Tempelsman was a slab member of the Southern Somebody Enterprise Development Fund, and over and done with chairman and long-serving board affiliate of the Africa-America Institute.^[26]

Tempelsman assay a trustee of the Continent Foundation,^[27] and a director in this area the National Democratic Institute awaken International Affairs,^[28] the Center take to mean National Policy, the Business Consistory for International Understanding, and authority U.S.-Russia Business Council.^[9]

He is chair of the International Advisory Legislature of the Harvard School be paid Public Health's AIDS Initiative,^[29] swallow is an honorary trustee skull an honorary member of justness corporation of the Woods Vessel Oceanographic Institution. Tempelsman is clean up member of the Council patch up Foreign Relations, and was styled a visitor to the Branch of Classical Art at representation Museum of Fine Arts, Beantown. A director of the School of American Poets, Tempelsman further serves as a trustee invoke the New York University Guild of Fine Arts, and tip-off Lenox Hill Hospital's advisory surface. He has served on diverse Presidential Commissions including the President's Commission for the Observance disturb Human Rights, the Citizen's admonitory board of Youth Opportunities slab the National Highway Safety Par‘netical Committee, and was appointed simulate the New York Council restitution International Business.^[9]

Looted Morgantina acroliths

In , Tempelsman bought, for $1 mint, two BC acroliths representing Demeter and Persephone; the pieces consisted of two marble heads, several feet, and three hands. Tempelsman purchased them from the later-infamous art dealer Robin Symes. Honesty Italian government first claimed class items when they were displayed in a exhibition at prestige J. Paul Getty Museum make money on Malibu; the museum had catalogued them as belonging to excellent private collector.^[30] The Italian corridors of power determined that they were burgle from Morgantina, and smuggled hurt Switzerland, where they were erred by Symes. They were in the end repatriated to the archeological museum of Aidone in , subsequently being on exhibit for quint years at the Fralin Museum of Art, part of honourableness University of Virginia in Charlottesville.^[31] Putatively, in , Tempelsman commendatory the pieces to the foundation museum, and the restitution foster Italy was mediated by honesty university's archeology professor Malcolm Bell III.^[32][33]

Personal life

Marriage and children

Tempelsman has adult children by his better half Lilly Bucholz, who had too fled Antwerp with her cover. They were married in ^[3] Their daughter, Rena, is prestige widow of Robert Speisman, prominence executive vice president of Lazare Kaplan International Inc. who mind-numbing on board American Airlines Flight path 77, when the aircraft crashed into The Pentagon during description September 11 attacks.^[34]

Tempelsman and Bucholz formally separated in According garland People, Bucholz and Tempelsman not ever legally divorced.^[4]

Relationship with Jacqueline Onassis

Tempelsman was the longtime companion conduct operations Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.^[2][35] Maurice endure Lilly Tempelsman were guests incensed the State Dinner given schoolwork Mount Vernon, Virginia in pleasure of the President Ayub Caravansary of Pakistan in The unite began their lengthy relationship think it over , five years after significance death of Jacqueline Onassis' in two shakes husband Aristotle Onassis.^[11][36] In , Tempelsman moved into Onassis's 5th Avenuepenthouse apartment in New Dynasty City.^[4]

During their relationship, he handled Onassis's finances, quadrupling the $26 million that was secured dismiss her late husband's estate.^[37] Picture couple frequently took walks in and out of Central Park and were photographed doing so in the age preceding her death from Non-Hodgkin lymphoma at age 64 excess May 19, ^[38] At Onassis's funeral Mass, Tempelsman read Metropolis P. Cavafy's poem Ithaca, individual of her favorites, and over by saying: "And now rectitude journey is over, too divide, alas, too short. It was filled with adventure and sagacity, laughter and love, gallantry most important grace. So farewell, farewell."^[3][39]

Tempelsman was one of two executors recall the will that she challenging drawn up with her long-time attorney, Alexander D. Forger.^[37] She left him a "Greek calcite head of a woman" build up named Tempelsman to be uncut co‑chair of a charitable logic, the C&#;&&#;J Foundation.^[37][40] However, nearly was no residuary left envision fund the foundation after manor taxes were paid.^[41]

See also

References

External links