Who was William Rothschild? Man believed to be member of famed family dies in L.A. house fire
A week after a man believed to be a member of the wealthy Rothschild family died in a Hollywood Hills house fire, his true identity is coming into focus.
A week after a man believed to be a member of the wealthy Rothschild family died in a Hollywood Hills house fire, his true identity is coming into focus.
A week after a man believed to be a member of the wealthy Rothschild family died in a Hollywood Hills house fire, his true identity is coming into focus.
A week after a man believed to be a member of the wealthy Rothschild family died in a Hollywood Hills house fire, his true identity is coming into focus.
HOLLYWOOD HILLS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — One week after a Hollywood Hills home caught fire and a man known to neighbors as Will Rothschild, a billionaire member of the famed Rothschild family, was found dead inside, the picture of who this man really was is beginning to come into focus.
It turns out, 87-year-old William de Rothschild used to be William Kauffman from Oregon. The L.A. Times reported he changed his name in the 1980s.
ABC7 reached out to Richard Kauffman, brother to William de Rothschild, who had no idea his brother was even alive.
“I thought he had passed away 40 years ago. Last contact I had with him was a telephone call. It was kind of odd. It seemed like he had something to tell me. He didn’t, and when I never heard from him again I kind of presumed that maybe he had an illness, didn’t want to talk about it, and just quietly passed away,” Richard said.
He hadn’t and had been living in Laurel Canyon, somehow living like a billionaire, with multiple properties and dozens of luxury vehicles on elevators in his garage.
Neither friends nor family knew who this person, who had lived as William Kauffman and Will Rothschild, really was or where his money came from.
“I don’t know how he made his money… I was trying to decide whether I should be sad about this but in reality, I am so happy about it — that he had a life, even though it might’ve been somewhat bizarre. That he lived a long life, did not pass away in his 40s,” said Richard.
“He was a kind, gentle soul, and as far as he goes, there’s no deception on his part, absolutely not. He was nice to everyone. He never had a bad word to say about anyone and he was a good neighbor. I considered him a good friend and I’m really sorry that he’s gone,” said a neighbor.
Neighbors say William was not posing as a member of the famous family and never said that he was, but the lifestyle of the name could have led people to use their imagination to connect the dots.