The man credited with making The Rolling Stones the richest rock band on earth has died at the age of 80.
Prince Rupert Loewenstein was the band’s financial manager for almost 40 years and became a close friend of Mick Jagger, even being named godfather to his son James.
The Bavarian banker’s advice led to the band becoming tax exiles when they moved to the South of France in the 70s.
Despite his close work with the band, he was never a fan of their music. He wrote in his 2013 autobiography: “To many outsiders, it must seem extraordinary that I was never a fan of the Stones’ music, or indeed of rock and roll in general.
“Yet I feel that precisely because I was not a fan… I was able to view the band and what they produced calmly, dispassionately, maybe even clinically - though never without affection.”
Loewenstein met Jagger in the 60s when he headed up a small London bank. He helped free the band from a contract with then manager Allen Klein, who was taking half of their recording royalties.
He helped Jagger amass a £200million fortune with his tax advice and making the band a global brand by, among other things, copyrighting the famous tongue logo.
Loewenstein and the band parted company in 2007. His funeral will be held in London tomorrow.
