Felix Rohatyn
Felix George Rohatyn (/ˈroʊɑːtɪn/ ROH-ah-tin; May 29, 1928 – December 14, 2019) was an American investment banker and diplomat. He spent most of his career with Lazard, where he brokered numerous large corporate mergers and acquisitions from the 1960s through the 1990s. In 1975, he played a central role in preventing the bankruptcy of New York City as chairman of the Municipal Assistance Corporation and chief negotiator between the city, its labor unions and its creditors.
Felix Rohatyn | |
|---|---|
Rohatyn in 1985 | |
| United States Ambassador to France | |
| In office September 11, 1997 – December 7, 2000 | |
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Pamela Harriman |
| Succeeded by | Howard H. Leach |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Felix George Rohatyn May 29, 1928 Vienna, Austria |
| Died | December 14, 2019 (aged 91) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | Jeannette Streit
(m. 1956; div. 1979)Elizabeth Fly Vagliano
(m. 1979; died 2016) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Clarence Streit (former father-in-law) Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn (daughter-in-law) Nina Griscom (stepdaughter) |
| Education | Middlebury College (BS) |
Rohatyn later became an outspoken advocate for rebuilding America's infrastructure, working with politicians and business leaders to craft guiding principles for strengthening infrastructure as co-chair of the Commission on Public Infrastructure. Rohatyn was involved in efforts to form a national infrastructure bank, and assisted in the rebuilding of New York City following Hurricane Sandy as co-chair of the New York State 2100 Commission.
From 1997 to 2000, Rohatyn served as United States Ambassador to France.