Did a phony Rothschild dupe a top university?
Print Edition
A top Chinese university may have been duped by a man who received gifts and attended fundraisers by posing as a scion of the Rothschild banking family, a school official said.
Tsinghua University vice president Yang Bin told reporters at a business forum that there were “oversights” in Tsinghua’s screening processes after the Economic Observer newspaper reported that Oliver Rothschild, who has attended fundraising events for years, may not belong to the famous family.
Tsinghua’s president gave Rothschild souvenirs and praised his interest in education during a recent visit, according to a university news release.
A Tsinghua spokeswoman yesterday said she was aware of reports about Rothschild’s identity but the university was still looking into the matter before making a formal statement.
Rothschild, who also took pictures with officials in the eastern city of Zibo, has not been accused of financial fraud.
The Rothschilds hold a particular place in the Chinese popular imagination.
A book claiming to uncover the family’s influence in European politics has been a best-seller, while wines from Chateau Lafite Rothschild are so favored by China’s nouveau riche that they are widely counterfeited.
A report in the official China News Service said the gaffe raised the issue of a Chinese university “blindly worshipping all things foreign.”
Oliver Rothschild did not immediately respond to a LinkedIn message seeking comment.
His extensive online resume, which described him as an “entrepreneur extraodiniare” (sic) before it was edited yesterday, claimed he was the head of a corporate advisory firm in London and a 1977 graduate of the University of Surrey.
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