James Wolfensohn

Sir James Wolfensohn KBE AO
Special Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East
In office 14 April 2005 – 30 March 2006
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Tony Blair
President of the World Bank Group
In office June 1, 1995 – May 31, 2005
Preceded by	Ernest Stern (acting)
Succeeded by	Paul Wolfowitz
Personal details
Born	James David Wolfensohn (1933-12-01)1 December 1933 Sydney, Australia
Died	25 November 2020(2020-11-25) (aged 86) New York City, New York, U.S.
Spouse	Elaine Botwinick ​ ​ (m. 1961; died 2020)​
Relations	Edward Botwinick (brother-in-law)
Children	3
Education	University of Sydney (BA, LLB) Harvard University (MBA)
Signature
Website	Official website

Sir James David Wolfensohn KBE, AO (1 December 1933 – 25 November 2020) was an Australian-American lawyer, investment banker, and economist who served as the ninth president of the World Bank Group (1995–2005). During his tenure at the World Bank, he is credited with the focus on poverty alleviation and a rethink on development financing, earning him recognition as a banker to the world's poor. In his other roles, he is credited with actions that brought Chrysler Corporation back from the brink of bankruptcy, and also improving the finances of major United States cultural institutions, including Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. He served two terms as President of the World Bank on the nomination of U.S. President Bill Clinton, and thereafter held various positions with charitable organizations and policy think-tanks including the Brookings Institution.

He was born in Sydney, Australia, and was a graduate of the University of Sydney and Harvard Business School; he was also an Olympic fencer. He worked for various companies in Britain and the United States before forming his own investment firm. Wolfensohn became an American citizen in 1980 and renounced his Australian citizenship, although he eventually regained it in 2010.