Arpad Busson facts for kids

André Arpad Busson (born 27 January 1963) is a French businessman. He is known as a hedge fund manager, an investor, and someone who gives a lot to charity (a philanthropist). Arpad Busson started working with hedge funds in 1986 in New York. He is the person who started and led the EIM Group, a company that manages many different investment funds. Busson also spends a lot of his time helping various charities around the world. In 2013, a French business magazine estimated his wealth at €500 million.

Early Life and Education

Arpad Busson's father, Pascal Busson, was a former French army officer who later became a financier. His mother, Florence Harcourt-Smith, was English. Arpad was named after a Hungarian banker, Árpád Plesch.

People sometimes call Arpad Busson by his nickname "Arki." This nickname came from combining "Arpad" with his mother's nickname, "Flockie," when he was a child.

Arpad Busson grew up in France. He went to school there and also at the Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland. After his schooling, he served in the French army as a medical orderly. Friends said that he liked the strictness of the army, and it helped him grow as a person.

Working in Finance

Arpad Busson began his career in hedge funds in 1986. He first worked with a company called Dubin Swieca. Later, he was a marketing representative for Paul Tudor Jones's fund, Tudor Investments.

In 1991, Busson started his own company, the EIM Group. This company helped manage money for large organizations that wanted to invest in hedge funds. In 2008, the EIM Group was unfortunately affected by a very large financial fraud case involving Bernie Madoff.

In 2001, the FBI asked EIM, Busson's company, for help. They wanted to track some financial information. The FBI stated that EIM was not being investigated and was helping fully.

In 2013, Busson's EIM group joined with a Swiss investment company called Gottex Fund Management Holdings. In 2015, Busson became the temporary leader of Gottex Fund Management.

Later, Gottex Fund Management changed its name to LumX. In 2020, it was removed from the Swiss Stock Exchange after losing money for several years. This marked the end of Arpad Busson's time as a hedge fund manager.

Helping Others Through Charity

Arpad Busson believes in "venture philanthropy." This means he tries to use smart business ideas to make charity work even more effective.

He is one of the people who started the children's charity ARK (Absolute Return for Kids). He also leads its board of directors. ARK collects money from people in the finance industry. This money helps children who are victims of abuse, disability, illness, and poverty. ARK uses these funds to create and manage projects. These projects aim to improve the lives of children in Eastern Europe, South Africa, and the UK through education and healthcare.

ARK hosts a big annual dinner where many famous people attend to raise money. For example, Bill Clinton attended in 2006, and Queen Rania of Jordan in 2010. In 2011, Prince William and his wife attended. Prince William announced a joint project between his foundation and ARK.

ARK's activities include:

• Funding treatment for people with AIDS in Africa.
• Helping children leave care homes in Bulgaria and Romania.
• Creating better education chances for children in India who are not as lucky.
• Running eight schools called academies, mostly in London, through its charity ARK Academies.

Busson says that if they use business ideas for charity, they can have a strong impact and truly change children's lives.

He also supports the Elton John AIDS Foundation. He is a founding member of Theodora Children's Trust. This charity brings music, magic, and laughter to children in hospitals. Performers called "Giggle Doctors" visit the children to cheer them up.

Personal Life

Arpad Busson started a relationship with Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson in 1996. They had two sons together, born in 1998 and 2003. The family lived in London until they separated in 2005.

Busson then began dating American actress Uma Thurman in 2007. They announced their engagement in 2008. They broke up for a short time in 2009 but got back together. Busson and Thurman had one daughter together, born in 2012. They ended their engagement for good in 2014. In 2017, they had a disagreement about their daughter's care, and Uma Thurman later received primary care of their daughter.

In 2012, Arpad Busson sold a famous painting by Andy Warhol called Mao for $12 million at an auction in New York.