Michel Ray

He was born in the United Kingdom into a wealthy family; his mother was British and his father a Brazilian diplomat. He was educated in Switzerland where he learned to ski. His parents were friends of producer Michael Balcon who was looking for a boy who could ski for his 1954 film The Divided Heart (1954). Young Michel fitted the part perfectly and started a film career which culminated in the role of Faraj in Lawrence of Arabia (1962). This project took eighteen months, causing Michel to reflect on the impact his film work was having on his education. He decided to quit acting instead attending Harvard University. He graduated in business studies, and went on to take a Masters (MBA). In the meantime, he pursued his passion for winter sports, representing Britain in the Winter Olympics in Grenoble 1968 (ski), Sapporo 1972 (luge) and Innsbruck 1976 (luge). After university he joined merchant bankers White Weld & Co before moving on to NM Rothschild and Credit Suisse First Boston. In his London city career in investment banking he made his first millions. In 1995 he joined Nikko Securities and in 1998 became the first non-Japanese member of the main board. He had married a childhood friend Charlene, daughter of Alfred "Freddie" Heineken. Her mother was Lucille Cummins daughter of a Kentucky Bourbon maker. Her father Freddie died in January 2002 and left his controlling interest, 50.05%, in the Heineken brewing empire to the couple. With an estimated wealth of £3 billion or $4.2 billion, Michel's life story is more glamorous than many a Hollywood fiction.