Early Life and Family
Born in Zurich, de Botton comes from a Sephardic Jewish family, originating from a small Castilian town of Boton (now vanished) on the Iberian peninsula. His ancestors include Abraham de Boton. His paternal grandmother was Yolande Harmer. His father, Gilbert de Botton, was born in Alexandria, Egypt, from where he was expelled (along with the rest of the Jewish community) under Nasser and then went to live and work in Switzerland. He was the co-founder of an investment firm called Global Asset Management. His wealth was estimated by one source to have reached £234 million in 1999. He has one sister, Miel, and they received a secular upbringing. De Botton spent the first twelve years of his life in Switzerland where he was brought up to speak French and German.
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