Controversies
In October 2008, he was the subject of much press speculation; it was revealed that Labour politician Peter Mandelson and the Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska had met when staying on a yacht moored near Corfu, in order to attend a party held by Rothschild. After speculation that this might constitute a conflict of interest for Mandelson, Rothschild wrote a letter to The Times, alleging that another guest was Conservative Shadow-Chancellor George Osborne, who, Rothschild claimed, illicitly tried to solicit a donation from the Russian for his party.
Further controversy emerged in the summer of 2009, when it was revealed that Mandelson (recently appointed First Secretary of State) would be returning to Corfu to stay in a villa owned by Rothschild, despite in effect acting as Prime Minister during Gordon Brown's holiday absence.
Rothschild has been linked to the son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. In 2009, Saif threw his 37th birthday party at the Splendid Hotel in Bečići Montenegro where the guests were rumored to include Arcelor Mittal CEO Lakshmi Mittal, gold magnate Peter Munk, as well as Oleg Deripaska and Nathaniel Rothschild.
In February 2012 he lost his libel case with the Daily Mail who had accused him of being a "puppet master" in reporting about his foreign trips with Peter Mandelson.
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