Maurice Tempelsman

Maurice Tempelsman

Maurice Tempelsman (born August 26, 1929, Antwerp, Belgium)^[1] is a Belgian American businessman and diamond merchant.^[2][3] He moved to the United States as a child and attended New York City’s public schools and New York University.^[4] Tempelsman is multilingual and has interests in the fields of history, archaeology, sailing, and visual arts.^[5][6][7][8]

Personal life

Tempelsman was born in 1929 to a Yiddish-speaking, Orthodox Jewish family in Antwerp’s Jewish community.^[3] In 1940, Tempelsman and his family emigrated to the United States to escape persecution by Nazi Germany during World War II. When he was 16, Tempelsman began working for his father, a diamond broker.^[3]

Tempelsman has three grown children by his estranged wife, Lilly Bucholz.^[3] His daughter, Rena, is the widow of Robert Speisman, an executive vice president of Tempelsman’s company who was on board American Airlines Flight 77, when the aircraft crashed into The Pentagon during the September 11 attacks.^[9]

Relationship with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Tempelsman was the longtime companion of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, former First Lady of the United States.^[2][10] The two began their lengthy relationship in 1980, several years after the death of Jacqueline Kennedy’s second husband Aristotle Onassis.^[11][12] In 1982, Tempelsman moved into Onassis’s Fifth Avenue penthouse apartment in New York City.^[3] During their relationship, Tempelsman handled Onassis’s finances, quadrupling the $26 million secured from her late husband’s estate.^[13] The couple frequently took walks through Central Park and were photographed doing so in the days preceding her death on May 19, 1994, at age 64 from Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.^[14] At Onassis’s funeral service, Tempelsman read Constantine P. Cavafy’s poem Ithaka, one of her favorites, and concluded by saying: "And now the journey is over, too short, alas, too short. It was filled with adventure and wisdom, laughter and love, gallantry and grace. So farewell, farewell."^[3][15] Tempelsman was one of two executors of Onassis’s will.^[13] She left him a "Greek alabaster head of a woman" and named Templesman as co-chair of her charitable organization, the C & J Foundation.^[13][16]

Business interests

Tempelsman is chairman of the board of directors of Lazare Kaplan International Inc. (LKI), the largest diamond company in the United States, noted for its "ideal cut" diamonds sold worldwide under the brand name, Lazare Diamonds.^[11][17][18] He is also a general partner of Leon Tempelsman & Son, an investment company specializing in real estate and venture capital.^[19]

Philanthropic and political activities

Tempelsman maintains relations with political and business leaders, in particular government leaders in Africa and Russia, and leading figures in the U.S. Democratic Party.^[2][11] His extensive political contacts and monetary contributions often provide him with access and prestige in those markets, as was the case during the presidency of Bill Clinton.^[2][20] From 1993 to 1997, Tempelsman visited the White House at least ten times, met privately with Hillary Clinton on two separate occasions, vacationed with the Clintons and the Kennedy family in Martha’s Vineyard, and flew to Moscow and back with President Clinton on Air Force One.^[2][6]

In Southern Africa, Tempelsman has played a key role in negotiations between hostile governments and companies engaging in diamond exploration. He met with Mobutu Sese Seko, former dictator of Zaire, to assist the regime’s business dealings with De Beers.^[21][22][23] From March 3, 1977, Tempelsman briefly held the title of honorary consul general for Zaire, now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), at the DRC’s consular offices in New York City.^[24] In addition to the DRC, Tempelsman has played a key role in the diamond industries of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and Sierra Leone.^{[25][26][27][28]}

Tempelsman served as chairman of the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) from 1999 to 2002, when he was named chairman emeritus.^[29] An example of his work with the CCA involved assisting government leaders with establishing the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.^[30] Tempelsman was a board member of the Southern African Enterprise Development Fund, and past chairman and current board member of The Africa-America Institute.^[8][31][32]

Tempelsman is a trustee of the Eurasia Foundation,^[33] and a director of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs,^[34] the Center for National Policy, the Business Council for International Understanding, and the US-Russia Business Council.^[8]

He is chairman of the International Advisory Council of the Harvard School of Public Health’s AIDS Initiative,^[35] and is an honorary trustee and an honorary member of the corporation of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Tempelsman is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and was named a Visitor to the Department of Classical Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A director of the Academy of American Poets, Tempelsman also serves as a trustee of the New York University Institute of Fine Arts, and on Lenox Hill Hospital’s Advisory Board. He has served on several Presidential Commissions including the President’s Commission for the Observance of Human Rights, the Citizen’s Advisory Board of Youth Opportunities and the National Highway Safety Advisory Committee, and was appointed to the New York Council on International Business.^[8]

See also

	Belgium portal
	Gemology and Jewelry portal
	New York City portal

• List of Belgian Americans
• List of New York University alumni
• List of people from Antwerp
• List of people from New York City

References

1. ^ Gleick, Elizabeth (July 11, 1994). "The Man Who Loved Jackie". People (people.com) 42 (2): 75–81. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20103428,00.html. Retrieved November 14, 2009. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Schmidt, Susan (August 2, 1997). "DNC Donor With an Eye On Diamonds". The Washington Post (washingtonpost.com): pp. A01. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/campfin/stories/cf080297b.htm. Retrieved November 9, 2009. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f} McFadden, Robert D. (May 24, 1994). "Death of a First Lady: The Companion; Quietly at Her Side, Public at the End". The New York Times (nytimes.com): pp. A17. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/24/us/death-of-a-first-lady-the-companion-quietly-at-her-side-public-at-the-end.html. Retrieved November 9, 2009. 
4. ^ Heymann, Clemens David (2007). American Legacy: The Story of John & Caroline Kennedy. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 261–262. ISBN 9780743497381. 
5. ^ Povoledo, Elisabetta (February 26, 2008). "Tempelsman Sculptures Return to Italy". The New York Times (nytimes.com). http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/arts/26arts-TEMPELSMANSC_BRF.html. Retrieved November 11, 2009. 
6. ^ ^{a b} Ifill, Gwen (August 25, 1993). "Clinton and Kennedys: In 30 Years, a Full Circle". The New York Times (nytimes.com): pp. A10. http://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/25/us/clinton-and-kennedys-in-30-years-a-full-circle.html. Retrieved November 11, 2009. 
7. ^ Povoledo, Elisabetta (September 1, 2007). "Two Marble Sculptures to Return to Sicily". The New York Times (nytimes.com). http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/01/arts/design/01rest.html. Retrieved November 11, 2009. 
8. ^ ^{a b c d} "Bio: Maurice Tempelsman". Eurasia Foundation. (eurasia.org). http://www.eurasia.org/about/bio_tempelsman.aspx. Retrieved November 16, 2009. 
9. ^ "Robert Speisman -- Executive, 48". The New York Times (nytimes.com): pp. A21. September 15, 2001. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/15/us/robert-speisman-executive-48.html. Retrieved November 11, 2009. 
10. ^ Clayson, Jane (July 25, 2000). "Reading Celebs Through Their Wills". CBS News (cbsnews.com). http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2000/07/25/entertainment/main218397.shtml. Retrieved November 9, 2009. 
11. ^ ^{a b c} Melman, Yossi; Carmel, Asaf (March 25, 2005). "Diamond in the rough". Haaretz (haaretz.com). http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=556546. Retrieved November 9, 2009. 
12. ^ Pottker, Jan (2002). Janet and Jackie: The Story of a Mother and Her Daughter, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin. pp. 310. ISBN 9780312302818. 
13. ^ ^{a b c} "Onassis Leaves Estate to Charity and Her Children". The New York Times (nytimes.com): pp. A16. June 2, 1994. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/02/us/onassis-leaves-estate-to-charity-and-her-children.html. Retrieved November 11, 2009. 
14. ^ Gates, Anita (November 5, 2000). "A Lady Who Never Stopped Being First". The New York Times (nytimes.com): pp. A4. http://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/05/tv/cover-story-a-lady-who-never-stopped-being-first.html. Retrieved November 11, 2009. 
15. ^ "First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: Memorial Tributes in the One Hundred Third Congress of the United States". United States Government Printing Office. (access.gpo.gov). 1995. pp. 62. http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/senate/jko/sd032.txt. Retrieved November 16, 2009. 
16. ^ "Last Will & Testament – Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis". New York Surrogate's Court. (nycourts.gov). http://www.nycourts.gov/4jd/warren/surrogates_will_onassis.shtml. Retrieved November 16, 2009. 
17. ^ Dougherty, Philip H.. "Lazare Kaplan International Inc.". The New York Times (nytimes.com). http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/news/business/companies/lazare-kaplan-international-inc/index.html. Retrieved November 9, 2009. 
18. ^ "Lazare Kaplan sales down as worried buyers reassess strategy". Mmegi (mmegi.bw). January 16, 2009. http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=4&aid=39&dir=2009/January/Friday16. Retrieved November 9, 2009. 
19. ^ "Maurice Tempelsman Profile". Forbes (people.forbes.com). http://people.forbes.com/profile/maurice-tempelsman/48702. Retrieved November 14, 2009. 
20. ^ "Official Delegation Accompanying the President to Africa". Office of the Press Secretary. (clinton2.nara.gov). March 20, 1998. http://clinton2.nara.gov/Africa/delegation.html. Retrieved November 16, 2009. 
21. ^ Epstein, Edward Jay; Flynn, Laurie (February 1, 1994). "The Diamond Empire". Frontline (pbs.org). http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/programs/programs/transcripts/1209.html. Retrieved November 11, 2009. 
22. ^ Goodman, Walter (February 1, 1994). "Even the Real Diamonds Have Some Artificiality". The New York Times (nytimes.com): pp. C18. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/02/01/movies/review-television-even-the-real-diamonds-have-some-artificiality.html. Retrieved November 11, 2009. 
23. ^ Hinton, Deane R. (January 23, 1975). "Telegram 641 From the Embassy in Zaire to the Department of State, January 23, 1975, 1000Z". Office of the Historian. (state.gov). http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/frus/nixon/e6/67157.htm. Retrieved November 15, 2009. 
24. ^ "Colombia – Czech Republic". United States Department of State. (state.gov). Fall/Winter 2003. http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/fco/20896.htm. Retrieved November 16, 2009. 
25. ^ "OPIC Board Approves $250 Million to Develop Diamond Cutting and Polishing in Botswana" (Press release). Overseas Private Investment Corporation. October 10, 2008. http://www.opic.gov/news/press-releases/2008/pr101008. Retrieved November 16, 2009. 
26. ^ "OPIC & U.S. Company Partner to Improve Diamond Production and Sales in Emerging Markets" (Press release). Overseas Private Investment Corporation. October 18, 2004. http://www.opic.gov/news/press-releases/2004/pr101804. Retrieved November 16, 2009. 
27. ^ "USAID Signs a $1.5 Million Partnership to Improve Economic Opportunities in Angola" (Press release). Overseas Private Investment Corporation. June 17, 2005. http://www.usaid.gov/press/releases/2005/pr050620.html. Retrieved November 16, 2009. 
28. ^ Kennedy, Charles Stuart (April 6, 1993). "Interview with Ambassador John A. Linehan, Jr.". The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. (lcweb2.loc.gov). http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/mss/mssmisc/mfdip/2005%20txt%20files/2004lin04.txt. Retrieved November 16, 2009. 
29. ^ Crossette, Barbara (January 26, 2000). "Strongman From Congo Seeks Image Change at U.N. Meeting". The New York Times (nytimes.com): pp. A8. http://www.nytimes.com/2000/01/26/world/strongman-from-congo-seeks-image-change-at-un-meeting.html?pagewanted=all. Retrieved November 11, 2009. 
30. ^ "Congress Holds Hearing on New Partnership for African Development". Bureau of International Information Programs. (america.gov). September 20, 2002. http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2002/September/[e-mail]. Retrieved November 16, 2009. 
31. ^ "President Clinton Announces Southern African Development Fund". Office of the Press Secretary. (clinton6.nara.gov). October 6, 1994. http://clinton6.nara.gov/1994/10/1994-10-06-president-announces-southern-africa-development-fund.html. Retrieved November 16, 2009. 
32. ^ "About Us: Board". The Africa-America Institute. (aaionline.org). http://www.aaionline.org/About/Board.aspx. Retrieved November 16, 2009. 
33. ^ Erlendsson, Elina; Taylor, Carolina. "2001 Annual Report" (PDF). Eurasia Foundation. (usaid.gov). pp. 5. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNACQ263.pdf. Retrieved November 16, 2009. 
34. ^ "NDI Board of Directors: Maurice Tempelsman". National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. (ndi.org). http://www.ndi.org/tempelsmanm. Retrieved November 16, 2009. 
35. ^ "People: International Advisory Council". Harvard School of Public Health. (aids.harvard.edu). http://www.aids.harvard.edu/people/iac.html. Retrieved November 15, 2009. 

External links

• Lazare Kaplan International Inc.

Persondata
Name	Tempelsman, Maurice
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	August 26, 1929
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death