Duke Buchan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Duke Buchan
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| Finance Chair of the Republican National Committee | |
| Assumed office January 31, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Todd Ricketts |
| United States Ambassador to Spain and Andorra | |
| In office January 18, 2018 – January 20, 2021 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | James Costos |
| Succeeded by | Julissa Reynoso Pantaleón |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Richard Duke Buchan III
July 3, 1963 Henderson, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Hannah Buchan |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Financier, diplomat, farmer, philanthropist |
Richard Duke Buchan III (born July 3, 1963) is an American businessman, diplomat, and farmer. He is also known for his charitable work. He started his own investment company called Hunter Global Investors.
From 2017 to 2021, he served as the United States Ambassador to Spain and Andorra. After that, he became the finance chair for the Republican National Committee.
Contents
Early Life and School
Buchan grew up on his family's tobacco and cattle farms in Henderson, North Carolina. He went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). There, he earned a degree in economics and Spanish in 1985.
He also studied in Spain at the University of Seville and the University of Valencia. Later, he earned a business degree from Harvard Business School in 1991. Buchan said that learning Spanish helped him see the world in a new way.
Career in Finance
In the early 1990s, Buchan began his career in investment banking. He worked at Merrill Lynch from 1992 to 1997. There, he focused on global finance and company mergers in different parts of the world.
In 1997, he joined a company called Maverick Capital. He managed their investments in banks and financial companies.
In 2001, Buchan started his own company, Hunter Global Investors, in New York City. This company managed money for investors. Later, he changed Hunter Global Investors into a "family office." This means it now manages only his family's money and investments. He also invests in real estate. In 2024, he and his wife built many apartments in the southern United States.
Being a Diplomat
On November 2, 2017, Buchan became the U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Andorra. The United States Senate approved his appointment without any objections. He officially started his role on December 11, 2017.
As Ambassador, Buchan worked to improve business ties between the U.S. and Spain. He helped update a tax agreement to prevent companies from being taxed twice. He also encouraged Spain to support NATO more strongly.
Buchan also spoke out for democracy and human rights. He often criticized governments that did not respect these rights. In 2019, he joined a group of ambassadors on a trip to learn about the March of the Living program. He also visited the border of Venezuela and Colombia. He saw the difficult conditions people faced there. He wrote about how important it was to help those in need. He met with Venezuelan leaders to show U.S. support for democracy.
Involvement in Politics
Buchan has been very active in the Republican National Committee. He has helped raise money for the Republican Party in New York and Florida. He has given a lot of money to various Republican groups and politicians.
In 2016, he and his wife, Hannah, supported Donald Trump's presidential campaign. They were among the first to donate a large amount of money to his campaign. They continued to donate and raise millions more. In November 2021, Buchan was chosen to be the finance chair for the Republican National Committee.
Giving Back (Philanthropy)
In 2011, Buchan created The Buchan Excellence Fund at UNC-CH. This fund helps students and professors study Spanish language and culture. It also helps them travel to Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries for research.
In 2012, the fund supported a project called 21st Century Pen Pals. This program connected American and Spanish schoolchildren through video exchanges. In 2016, a new building at UNC-CH, called Buchan House, opened. Buchan donated money to buy and fix up the old Chapel Hill Public Library for this new building.
Buchan has also supported fundraising efforts for Harvard Business School.
Personal Life
Buchan and his wife, Hannah, have three children. He owns farms in North Carolina and New York. On his farms, he grows truffles, over 100 kinds of tomatoes and vegetables, and raises horses. The Buchans sell their produce at a farm stand and donate some to charities.
Buchan's main home is in Palm Beach, Florida. He also has a horse farm in Upstate New York and an apartment in New York City. He speaks Spanish fluently and can also speak some French, Italian, German, and Catalan.
See also
In Spanish: Duke Buchan para niños
