Michel David-Weill

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Michel David-Weill (born November 23, 1932 in Paris, France) is a French investment banker and former Chairman of New York City based Lazard Frères.

He is the son of Berthe Haardt and Lazard Frères chairman Pierre David-Weill (1900-1975). During the last year of Nazi occupation, at age 11, he had to hide with his mother and younger sister, in a French village called Béduer (Lot, south-western France). After the war was over, he went to live in New York City with his family. He was educated at the Lycée Français de New York and l'Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris. In 1956, he married Hélène Marie Lehideux, with whom he has four children.

Following the 1977 retirement of André Meyer, Michel David-Weill became chairman of Lazard - working closely with managing director, Felix Rohatyn. He later hired Bruce Wasserstein as CEO, but had a falling-out with him: David-Weill stated that he regretted ever having hired Wasserstein.^{[citation needed]}

He was honored by the government of France, made a Commander of the Legion of Honor and Commander of L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, that nation's highest cultural honor.

David-Weill is currently a director of Groupe Danone, one of the world's largest food-product companies.