Abstract

The case chronicles the 200 year old legacy of the family business of the Rothschild Family. Started by Mayer Amschel Rothschild in 1790, in Frankfurt, the banking business of the family ruled Europe for centuries (dominated financially). The 5 sons of Mayer strategically placed in different financial centers of Europe took advantage of International events, thus creating their initial wealth. The case focuses on the reasons for the success and failure of family business at different times. It explores the concepts of family values, Succession Planning, inheritance planning, growing entrepreneurs within the family, controlling ownership of business, and adapting to changing times.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Learn about the success of the family business of the Rothschilds, who are credited with amassing the greatest concentration of private wealth the western world had ever seen, and their strategic moves.
• Understand the model of the family business of the family, initiated by Mayer, founder of the business that had been carried on for generations.
• Understand how the family beliefs, culture, and faith in religion played an important role in decision making of the owners.

Keywords

Family business, Rothschild Family, Succession Planning, Inheritance Planning, Leadership Development, Parallel Planning Process