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 References
3 External links

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Busson's stock broker turned financier father, Pascal Busson, was a former French army officer and Algeria veteran; his mother, Florence "Flockie" Harcourt-Smith, was an English former debutante. They met in Paris and named their son after the mysterious Hungarian-born banker Arpad Plesch, who was not only Florence Busson's stepfather (he was the second husband of her mother, Marysia Ulam Krauss Harcourt-Smith) but also her stepgrandfather (Plesch's first wife was his second wife's mother, Leonie Ulam).^[1] Plesch also was a mentor to Italy's richest man, the late head of Fiat, Gianni Agnelli.^[2] Busson's aunt, Joanna Harcourt-Smith, was a companion of Timothy Leary.^[1]

Growing up in Switzerland, some sources have suggested that Busson made early profits selling toothpicks door-to-door (which he denies),^[3] but he 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." ^[4].

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, in that 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.^[3]

[edit] Finance career

Busson then 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."^[5]

Busson entered the world of hedge funds in 1986. Employed by Paul Tudor Jones’s fund Tudor Investments, when it generated a huge return for investors after the 1987 stock-market crash, Busson’s reputation was sealed and other money managers sought out his services. They included Louis Bacon, Julian Robertson and Paul Marshall, and resultantly Busson set up EIM in 1992 to help manage assets for his wealthy clients.

In 1995, EIM had just seven employees with $100 million under management. Today Busson now employs 172 people around the world at EIM. The fund of hedge funds business has $12.5 billion under management. On average, EIM's portfolios have generated gross returns of just under 12 per cent annually over the past decade. Its 12-year track record has always been positive. The firm distinguishes itself from its rivals by offering investors a bespoke service, creating tailor-made portfolios for clients to suit their risk appetites. EIM has offices in several cities, including New York, Gibraltar, Nyon and Singapore.

[edit] ARK

Busson is the founding trustee of ARK (Absolute Return for Kids) and serves 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]

Each of Ark’s 13 trustees is given a specific area to look after, with money raised going to treating AIDS victims in Africa, taking children out of care in Bulgaria and Romania - it has taken 1,500 youngsters out of care in Romania; and developing educational academies for disadvantaged children in Britain and India.^[3]

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."^[2]

[edit] Personal life

Busson lives in a £10m mansion in Chelsea, and a villa in the Bahamas. Busson socialises with Madonna and Guy Ritchie, while Jemima Khan and Hugh Grant are close friends.^[2]

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.^[7]^[8] 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."^[7]. 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 Macpherson herself being Catholic.

Busson is presently dating Hollywood actress Uma Thurman.^[9] Their romance began at a private dinner in Milan co-hosted by Gianni Versace and Tony Blair. Thurman and MacPherson were friends until these recent events. Contrary to reports of being engaged to Thurman, it has since been confirmed by Thurman's rep that the two are not engaged and currently have no plans for marriage.^[10]

In 2006, Busson was voted the seventh most wanted person at a party, according to Tatler magazine - while Macpherson was voted in at eleventh ^[11].