Arpad Busson

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Arpad A. Busson (known as "Arki", born in Switzerland in 1963), is a London based French/Swiss financier in Hedge Funds, and the former partner of super model Elle Macpherson.

1 Biography
2 Personal life
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Biography

Busson's stock broker turned financier father, Pascal, was a former French army officer and Algeria veteran; his mother, Florence was an English debutante. They met in Paris and named their son after his step-grandfather, a Hungarian banker called Arpad Plesch - who was a mentor to Italy's richest man, the late head of Fiat, Gianni Agnelli^[1].

Growing up in Switzerland, Busson made early profits selling toothpicks door-to-door, but was educated in France and at the Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland. He then served national service as a nurse in the French army, where a friend said: "He loved the discipline of the army - it was the making of him." ^[2].

On being demobbed, Busson luxuriated in the Riviera life, enjoying a well-publicised relationship with the actress Farrah Fawcett and appearing regularly in the tabloid gossip columns. As he often refuses to give interviews, stories surround Busson - the story about Fawcett is that he masqueraded as an Italian prince on the French Riviera where, he wooed Fawcett away from Ryan O'Neal. The story is only partly true. It was perpetuated by the gossip columnist Taki as a sort of in-joke. Taki knew Busson's mother, who was friends with Fawcett. Bussons father often met Fawcett at dinner parties.

Busson then he started to make serious money the old-fashioned way: he studied how to invest on behalf of others. He also drew on the example of his parents, whose social circle is said to have included princesses and maharajahs. A family friend says of Busson: "Arki's a chip off the old block. His father always wanted to mix with the right people. His parents never had a great deal of steady cash, but were charming and well-mannered, and very well connected."^[3]

Busson entered into hedge funds in 1986 at the age of just 23, raising capital for Paul Tudor Jones in Tudor Investments. After a period at Moore Capital, Busson now employs 170 people around the world at his company EIM, with $10bn under management. On average, EIM's portfolios have earned more than 10 per cent a year over the past decade to 2006Busson owns 100% of the company through a Luxembourg trust structure, and is reported to be worth around USD 100m, however his net worth is more likely to be in excess of USD 500m as EIM is worth over USD 500m based on recent valuations of similar fund of hedge fund companies, this in addiion to his significant personal investments in the hedge fund industry and other assets. ^[4]^[5].

Busson is the founding trustee of ARK (Absolute Return for Kids) and continues as chairman of its board of directors. ARK has been highly successful in raising charitable contributions from the hedge fund industry to further its aim of transforming the lives of children who are victims of abuse, disability, illness and poverty ^[6]. Busson says of ARK: "If we can apply the entrepreneurial principles we have brought to business to charity, we have a shot at having a really strong impact, to be able to transform the lives of children."^[7]

[edit] Personal life

Busson lives in a 10m Pound mansion in Chelsea. He also has a villa in the Bahamas, as well as offices in exotic locations around the globe. Busson socialises with Madonna and Guy Ritchie, while Jemima Khan and Hugh Grant are close friends.

Busson and Macpherson have two sons, Arpad Flynn Alexander Busson and Aurelius Cy Andrea Busson. The couple got engaged on the announcement of Macpherson's second pregnancy in August 2002. But Aurelius Cy's birth in February 2003 led to tensions, with Macpherson booking herself into Arizona's exclusive Meadows Institute, where she was treated for exhaustion and post natal depression ^[8] ^[9]. The couple parted in July 2005, and issued a joint statement: "Whilst remaining the greatest of friends, we have decided to spend some time apart to consider our future. We have had, and in many ways continue to have, a wonderful relationship, which has produced two beautiful children. There is no third party involved." ^[10]. According to Macpherson, Busson is so devout a Catholic he decided he couldn't marry a divorcee, despite having two children with her out of wedlock and despite of Macpherson herself being Catholic.