David B. Cornstein facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Cornstein
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| United States Ambassador to Hungary | |
| In office June 22, 2018 – October 30, 2020 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Colleen Bell |
| Succeeded by | Marc Dillard, Chargé d'Affaires |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
David Bernard Cornstein
August 17, 1938 New York, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Lafayette College (BA) New York University (MBA) |
David Bernard Cornstein (born August 17, 1938) is an American businessman and diplomat. He served as the United States Ambassador to Hungary from 2018 to 2020. Before becoming an ambassador, Cornstein had a successful career in businesses like jewelry and telemarketing. He was chosen for the ambassador role by President Donald Trump.
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Early Life and Education
David Cornstein was born in New York City on August 17, 1938. He grew up as an only child in a Jewish family. His father, Irwin, worked in the rug business, and his mother, Fanny, was a schoolteacher. David's grandparents on his mother's side came to the U.S. from Hungary.
He attended P.S.168 in The Bronx and later the Horace Mann School, graduating in 1956. In 1960, he earned a bachelor's degree from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. He later earned a master's degree in business from New York University (NYU). After his studies, Cornstein served as a cook in the Army Reserve.
Business Career
David Cornstein began his business career while studying at NYU. He started by opening a jewelry counter inside a J. C. Penney store in Long Island. This small start grew into a company called Tru-Run, which sold jewelry in department stores across the U.S. He became the president and CEO of the company.
Tru-Run expanded by buying other jewelry companies. In 1988, they bought Finlay Fine Jewelry for $217 million. Cornstein then created a new main company called Finlay Enterprises, where he became president and CEO. The company continued to grow, even expanding into Europe in the 1990s. He left Finlay in 1999.
Other Business and Public Roles
In 1994, Cornstein was appointed to the New York Off-Track Betting Commission. This commission oversees betting on horse races. He became its chairman and suggested new ideas like showing races live on TV and allowing people to place bets by phone.
He also considered running for political office in New York City and New York State. He briefly announced he would run for New York State Comptroller in 2001 but later withdrew.
In 1999, he became chairman of TeleHubLink, a telemarketing company. This company faced a legal challenge in 2001 regarding how it offered services to customers. A court ruled that the company had to pay back customers who did not receive what was promised.
Cornstein also served as chairman of the board for the Jewelers' Security Alliance in 2006. He was also chosen by New York Governor George Pataki to lead the New York State Olympic Games Commission. This group worked on New York's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games, which eventually took place in London.
U.S. Ambassador to Hungary
David Cornstein has always been a member of the Republican Party. He has given money to many Republican politicians. He has also donated to some Democrats, like Chuck Schumer.
On February 13, 2018, United States President Donald Trump nominated Cornstein to be the U.S. Ambassador to Hungary. Cornstein and Trump had been friends for a long time. Cornstein was also a member of Trump's golf club in West Palm Beach.
Role as Ambassador
As Ambassador, Cornstein strongly supported the government of Viktor Orbán, who was the Prime Minister of Hungary. Some critics believed that Hungary was becoming less democratic under Orbán. However, Cornstein told Hungarian media that he did not see evidence of this. He believed it was important to have a good relationship with Hungary.
In a 2019 interview, Cornstein was asked about Orbán describing his government as an "illiberal democracy". Cornstein said that President Trump would like to have the kind of power that Orbán had.
In September 2018, Cornstein said he had an agreement with Orbán that Central European University (CEU) could stay in Hungary. CEU is an American university in Budapest. However, in December 2018, CEU announced it was leaving Hungary. Many saw this as a sign of Hungary's government limiting freedoms. Cornstein described Orbán as a "friend" during this time. He also criticized George Soros, who founded CEU, saying Soros had a strong dislike for Orbán. Cornstein suggested that CEU's departure was not about academic freedom.
In October 2019, The New York Times published a story about Cornstein's time as ambassador. It mentioned his close support for Orbán's policies and his spending on parties.
On September 15, 2020, the U.S. Embassy in Budapest announced that Cornstein would finish his service as ambassador on November 1, 2020. He said it was an honor to serve his country in Hungary.
Personal Life
David Cornstein has been married to his wife, Sheila, for over fifty years. He is actively involved in Jewish organizations and the Jewish community. He has one son.
Images for kids
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David Cornstein at CPAC Hungary 2024
