Alexander von Furstenberg
Encyclopedia
Prince Alex von Furstenberg (born Alexandre Prinz von Fürstenberg) is the son of fashion designers Diane von Fürstenberg
, and Prince Egon of Fürstenberg
.
His father was the son of Prince Tassilo of Fürstenberg (1903–1989), an Austrian aristocrat, and his first wife, Clara Agnelli (born 1920), the sister of former Fiat
chief Gianni Agnelli
, and daughter of Italian industrialist Edoardo Agnelli (1892–1935).
Alexander's maternal grandparents were the Greek
-born Liliane Nahmias, a Holocaust
survivor, and the Romania
n-born Leon (Lipa) Halfin, who immigrated to Belgium
from Chişinău
(then Bessarabia
a province of Romania) in 1929.
Numerous members of the Furstenberg family have risen to prominence over the centuries as soldiers, mercenaries, churchmen, diplomats, and academics. The family of Furstenberg claims descent from a certain Count Unruoch (a contemporary of Charlemagne
) with subsequent lineage connected to Napoleon
. Over its history, the Furstenberg bloodlines have several times divided. Alexandre descends from the “Stuhlingen” line of Furstenberg.
The Furstenbergs' history begins with Prince Karl Alois of Furstenberg
who was a Field Marshal
in the Austrian military. On his death at the Battle of Stockach
in 1799 the title passed to his son, Karl Egon (1796–1854), prince of Furstenberg. Karl Egon was succeeded in turn by his son Karl Egon II (1820–1892), with the death of whose son, Karl Egon III in 1896, the title and estates were passed to cousin Prince Maximilian Egon, head of the cadet line of Furstenberg-Purglitz.
Prince Maximilian’s son Prince Charles (Karl) Emil Egon von Furstenberg (1867–1945) married Countess Maria Festetics von Tolna (1881–1953). Together they had five children, the eldest of whom was the aforementioned Tassilo of Fürstenberg, for whom Alexandre’s second child is named.
were raised in New York City. His parents divorced in 1972. As a teen he lived in the Carlyle Hotel, two floors below duty-free shops czar Robert Warren Miller's three society daughters. One daughter Alexandra, was three years younger than him. Years later he married Alexandra and divorced her. Alexandra's sister Pia, married and divorced (1992-2005) Getty family member Christopher Getty. Her sister Marie-Chantal married Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece
in 1995.
Alex attended Brown University
, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1993.
Alex and Alexandra married on October 28, 1995, at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in New York City
. They had two children, Princess Talita Natasha (b. May 7, 1999) and Prince Tassilo Egon Maximilian (b. August 26, 2001), who is named for his paternal great-grandfather.
In 2002, they separated and were later divorced. Von Furstenberg is engaged to Ali Kay, KeepMe owner.
and founder of Ranger Global Advisors, LLC, a family office focused on opportunistic value-based investing. Previously, von Furstenberg was the Co-Managing Member and Chief Investment Officer
of Arrow Capital Management, LLC, a private investment firm focused on global public equities which annualized at 22.4% over an eight year period. Since 2001, he has acted as Chief Investment Officer of Arrow Investments, Inc., a private investment office that serves the Diller-von Furstenberg family.
Von Furstenberg led the restructuring of Diane von Furstenberg Studio, LP, a global luxury lifestyle brand, taking it from $1 million in annual revenue to more than $200 million. He remains a Partner and Director in the company. Alex also serves on the Board of Directors of IAC, a U.S.-based internet conglomerate, and on the Board of W.P. Stewart & Co., Ltd., a Bermuda-based asset management firm. He began his career in 1993 as a trader on Allen & Company
’s Risk Arbitrage Desk.
, his stepfather, Barry Diller
, the former CEO of IAC/InterActiveCorp
, and his sister, Tatiana von Furstenberg.
The Diller–von Furstenberg Family Foundation is involved in a number of charitable pursuits in education, community reform, environmental advocacy, disease research, childcare, arts and humanities and human rights. The foundation is responsible for two significant endowments to the High Line, a New York City park built on the foundation of a decommissioned high line railway. Von Furstenberg serves on the Board of Directors of Our Time
, Board of Friends of the High Line, and the National Advisory Council of ACRIA
.
Diane von Fürstenberg
Diane von Fürstenberg, formerly Princess Diane of Fürstenberg , is a Belgian-American fashion designer best known for her iconic wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon of Fürstenberg...
, and Prince Egon of Fürstenberg
Egon von Fürstenberg
Egon von Fürstenberg or Prince Egon of Fürstenberg was a fashion designer.- Family :Eduard Egon Peter Paul Giovanni Prinz zu Fürstenberg was the elder son of Prince Tassilo zu Fürstenberg and his first wife, Clara Agnelli , a sister of Fiat's chairman, Gianni Agnelli. His stepmother was the Texas...
.
His father was the son of Prince Tassilo of Fürstenberg (1903–1989), an Austrian aristocrat, and his first wife, Clara Agnelli (born 1920), the sister of former Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
chief Gianni Agnelli
Gianni Agnelli
Giovanni Agnelli , better known as Gianni Agnelli , was an Italian industrialist and principal shareholder of Fiat. As the head of Fiat, he controlled 4.4% of Italy's GDP, 3.1% of its industrial workforce, and 16.5% of its industrial investment in research...
, and daughter of Italian industrialist Edoardo Agnelli (1892–1935).
Alexander's maternal grandparents were the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
-born Liliane Nahmias, a Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
survivor, and the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n-born Leon (Lipa) Halfin, who immigrated to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
from Chişinău
Chisinau
Chișinău is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc...
(then Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
a province of Romania) in 1929.
Numerous members of the Furstenberg family have risen to prominence over the centuries as soldiers, mercenaries, churchmen, diplomats, and academics. The family of Furstenberg claims descent from a certain Count Unruoch (a contemporary of Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
) with subsequent lineage connected to Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
. Over its history, the Furstenberg bloodlines have several times divided. Alexandre descends from the “Stuhlingen” line of Furstenberg.
The Furstenbergs' history begins with Prince Karl Alois of Furstenberg
Karl Aloys zu Fürstenberg
Karl Aloys zu Fürstenberg was an Austrian military commander. He achieved the rank of Field Marshal and died at the Battle of Stockach....
who was a Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
in the Austrian military. On his death at the Battle of Stockach
Battle of Stockach (1799)
On 25 March 1799, French and Austrian armies fought for control of the geographically strategic Hegau region in present day Baden-Württemberg. The battle has been called by various names: First Battle of Stockach, the Battle by Stockach, and, in French chronicles, the Battle of Liptingen...
in 1799 the title passed to his son, Karl Egon (1796–1854), prince of Furstenberg. Karl Egon was succeeded in turn by his son Karl Egon II (1820–1892), with the death of whose son, Karl Egon III in 1896, the title and estates were passed to cousin Prince Maximilian Egon, head of the cadet line of Furstenberg-Purglitz.
Prince Maximilian’s son Prince Charles (Karl) Emil Egon von Furstenberg (1867–1945) married Countess Maria Festetics von Tolna (1881–1953). Together they had five children, the eldest of whom was the aforementioned Tassilo of Fürstenberg, for whom Alexandre’s second child is named.
Life
Prince Alexander and his sister Princess Tatiana von FurstenbergTatiana von Fürstenberg
Tatiana Desirée Prinzessin zu Fürstenberg or Princess Tatiana Desirée zu Fürstenberg ) is an American rock singer and filmmaker - and daughter of fashion designers Diane and Egon von Fürstenberg-External links:...
were raised in New York City. His parents divorced in 1972. As a teen he lived in the Carlyle Hotel, two floors below duty-free shops czar Robert Warren Miller's three society daughters. One daughter Alexandra, was three years younger than him. Years later he married Alexandra and divorced her. Alexandra's sister Pia, married and divorced (1992-2005) Getty family member Christopher Getty. Her sister Marie-Chantal married Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece
Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece
Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, is the eldest son and heir apparent of Constantine II, who was King of Greece from 1964 to 1973....
in 1995.
Alex attended Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1993.
Alex and Alexandra married on October 28, 1995, at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. They had two children, Princess Talita Natasha (b. May 7, 1999) and Prince Tassilo Egon Maximilian (b. August 26, 2001), who is named for his paternal great-grandfather.
In 2002, they separated and were later divorced. Von Furstenberg is engaged to Ali Kay, KeepMe owner.
Work
Alexander von Furstenberg is the Chief Investment OfficerChief investment officer
The chief investment officer is a job title for the board level head of investments within an organization. The CIO's purpose is to understand, manage, and monitor their organization's portfolio of assets, devise strategies for growth, act as the liaison with investors, and recognize and avoid...
and founder of Ranger Global Advisors, LLC, a family office focused on opportunistic value-based investing. Previously, von Furstenberg was the Co-Managing Member and Chief Investment Officer
Chief investment officer
The chief investment officer is a job title for the board level head of investments within an organization. The CIO's purpose is to understand, manage, and monitor their organization's portfolio of assets, devise strategies for growth, act as the liaison with investors, and recognize and avoid...
of Arrow Capital Management, LLC, a private investment firm focused on global public equities which annualized at 22.4% over an eight year period. Since 2001, he has acted as Chief Investment Officer of Arrow Investments, Inc., a private investment office that serves the Diller-von Furstenberg family.
Von Furstenberg led the restructuring of Diane von Furstenberg Studio, LP, a global luxury lifestyle brand, taking it from $1 million in annual revenue to more than $200 million. He remains a Partner and Director in the company. Alex also serves on the Board of Directors of IAC, a U.S.-based internet conglomerate, and on the Board of W.P. Stewart & Co., Ltd., a Bermuda-based asset management firm. He began his career in 1993 as a trader on Allen & Company
Allen & Company
Allen & Company is a boutique investment bank based at 711 Fifth Avenue, New York City.-History:Founded in 1922 by Charles Robert Allen, Jr., he was soon joined by his brother, Herbert A. Allen, Sr...
’s Risk Arbitrage Desk.
Philanthropy
Von Furstenberg is Director and Secretary of the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation. The foundation is managed by von Furstenberg, his mother, Diane von FürstenbergDiane von Fürstenberg
Diane von Fürstenberg, formerly Princess Diane of Fürstenberg , is a Belgian-American fashion designer best known for her iconic wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon of Fürstenberg...
, his stepfather, Barry Diller
Barry Diller
Barry Charles Diller is the Chairman and Senior Executive of IAC/InterActiveCorp and the media executive responsible for the creation of Fox Broadcasting Company and USA Broadcasting.-Early life:...
, the former CEO of IAC/InterActiveCorp
IAC/InterActiveCorp
InterActiveCorp is an American internet company with over 50 brands across 40 countries headquartered in New York City...
, and his sister, Tatiana von Furstenberg.
The Diller–von Furstenberg Family Foundation is involved in a number of charitable pursuits in education, community reform, environmental advocacy, disease research, childcare, arts and humanities and human rights. The foundation is responsible for two significant endowments to the High Line, a New York City park built on the foundation of a decommissioned high line railway. Von Furstenberg serves on the Board of Directors of Our Time
OUR TIME (nonprofit)
Our Time is a membership group for Americans under 30 leveraging strength in numbers in the name of "greater representation of young Americans in all segments of society." The organization descends from Declare Yourself and the Student Association for Voter Empowerment, and began operations as a...
, Board of Friends of the High Line, and the National Advisory Council of ACRIA
ACRIA
The or ACRIA was founded in December 1991 to provide community based clinical drug trials for people living with AIDS. They also run the HIV Health Literacy Program . ACRIA can trace their history back to the founding of the Community Research Initiative by Michael Callen and Joseph Sonnabend....
.