David René James de Rothschild was born in 1942 in the United States. His parents had escaped the Nazis during the German occupation of France during World War II. He is married to Olimpia Aldobrandini. David de Rothschild is a banker and a member of the prominent Rothschild banking family of France.

He is President of the Rothschild Group, Chairman of NM Rothschild & sons (London), Senior partner of Rothschild & Co Bank (Paris). Vice-president of Rothschild Bank Zurich.
He is also a board member of De Beers SA, of the Casino Group, of the Compagnie Financière Saint-Honoré and of the Compagnie Financière Martin Maurel.

David de Rothschild was Mayor of Pont-l'Evêque (France) from 1977 to 1995.

He is President of the Shoah Memorial Foundation (Paris, France).

He holds the cross of Commander of the Légion d'Honneur.