Lord Beaverbrook, born William Maxwell Aitken, was a Canadian-British business tycoon, politician, and newspaper publisher who left an indelible mark on the media landscape and political scene of the 20th century.
His life was characterized by remarkable achievements in the realms of industry, journalism, and public service, where his influence was felt both in Britain and across the Atlantic.
This biography delves into the multifaceted life of Lord Beaverbrook, shedding light on his ascent from humble beginnings to becoming a peer of the realm and a confidant of prime ministers.
As we explore the storied career of Lord Beaverbrook, we will trace the contours of his financial and political legacy, from his early entrepreneurial ventures to his role in shaping wartime propaganda during World War II.
His narrative is one of ambition, power, and the ability to wield influence through a combination of business acumen and personal charisma.
Join us as we uncover the story of Lord Beaverbrook, a figure whose impact on the 20th-century media and politics continues to be studied and admired, and whose life story offers a compelling glimpse into the interplay between wealth, power, and history.
| Popular As | William Maxwell Aitken |
| Occupation | actor,writer,producer |
| Age | 85 years old |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
| Born | May 25, 1879 |
| Birthplace | Maple, Ontario, Canada |
| Date of death | 9 June, 1964 |
| Died Place | Mickleham, Surrey, England, UK |
| Nationality | Canadian |
Get to Know Lord Beaverbrook
Lord Beaverbrook was born William Maxwell Aitken on May 25, 1879, in Maple, Ontario, Canada. He was one of ten children born to a Scottish-born Presbyterian minister, William Cuthbert Aitken, and the daughter of a local farmer and storekeeper, Jane Noble.
When he was about a year old, the family moved to Newcastle, New Brunswick, which he later considered to be his hometown, and it was here that he started his school newspaper, The Leader, at the age of thirteen. He delivered newspapers, sold subscriptions around town, and was the local correspondent for the St John Daily Star.
He registered at King’s College Law School but shortly left, for this was to be his only formal higher education.
Aitken then moved to Chatham, New Brunswick, where he worked as a local correspondent for the Montreal Star. He also sold life insurance and collected debts while he was there.
Aitken tried to become a lawyer but left after working for a short time in R. B. Bennett’s law office. He then moved to Saint John, New Brunswick, where he sold insurance before relocating to Calgary to help run Bennett’s campaign for a seat in the North-West Territories’ legislative assembly in 1898.
After an unsuccessful attempt at starting a meat business, he returned to Saint John and resumed selling insurance.
Unfortunately, Lord Beaverbrook died of bladder cancer on June 9, 1964, in Mickleham, Surrey, England, UK.
Family
This actor and writer is the uncle of Conservative MP Sir William Aitken and the great uncle of the actress and writer Maria Aitken and Jonathan Aitken.
Maria Aitken has a son named Jack Davenport, which makes Beaverbrook his great-great-uncle.
He is also the great-grandfather of the model Jodie Kidd.
Moreover, he has great-grandchildren, including the actress Kate Mailer. One of his great-grandchildren is also Cusi Cram, a playwright, screenwriter, teacher, filmmaker, performer, and advocate for women in the arts.
It seems like Beaverbrook’s family is into the entertainment industry.
Lord Beaverbrook Height, Weight & Measurements
Presently, by the age of 85 years, the height of Lord Beaverbrook is not accessible.
As soon as could really be expected, we will refresh Lord Beaverbrook’s Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe, and Dress size.
| Physical Status | |
| Height | Not Available |
| Weight | Not Available |
| Body Measurements | Not Available |
| Eye Color | Not Available |
| Hair Color | Not Available |
Who Is Lord Beaverbrook’s Wife?
Lord Beaverbrook was married twice in his life. He was previously married to Gladys Henderson Drury, and they have three children. The couple’s children are Hon. Janet Gladys Aitken, John William Maxwell Aitken, and Captain Hon. Peter Rudyard Aitken.
Aitken married Gladys Henderson Drury on January 29, 1906, in Halifax. Gladys was the daughter of Major-General Charles William Drury CBE and Mary Louise Henderson Drury.
Their son Max Aitken Jr., the 2nd Baron Beaverbrook, became a fighter pilot and rose to Wing Commander with 16 victories during World War II.
Their daughter Janet Gladys Aitken was married to Ian Campbell, who later became the 11th Duke of Argyll, and they had one daughter, Lady Jeanne Campbell.
Lord Beaverbrook also became a grandfather to Maxwell Aitken.
Unfortunately, his wife, Gladys, died on December 1, 1927.
After more than 30 years of being widowed, Lord Beaverbrook married Marcia Anastasia Christoforides on June 7, 1963, the widow of Beaverbrook’s friend Sir James Dunn.
Even though he was married, Beaverbrook was rarely faithful to his husband and was often disrespectful to women.
In Britain, he started an affair with Jean Norton while she was still married.
Aitken left Norton for Lily Ernst, a Jewish ballet dancer he rescued from pre-war Austria.
But Lord Beaverbrook died the following year on December 9, 1964.
| Family | |
| Parents | William Cuthbert Aitken and Jane Noble |
| Wife | Marcia Anastasia Christoforides (7 June 1963 – 9 December 1964)Gladys Henderson Drury (29 January 1906 – 1 December 1927) |
| Siblings | 9 Siblings |
| Children | Hon. Janet Gladys Aitken, John William Maxwell Aitken, and Captain Hon. Peter Rudyard Aitken |
The Career of Lord Beaverbrook
Max Aitken arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1900, where he was given a job and trained in finance by John F. Stairs, a member of the city’s powerful business family.
In 1904, when Stairs created the Royal Securities Corporation, Aitken became a minority shareholder as well as the company’s general manager.
With Stairs as his mentor and friend, Aitken successfully completed a number of business deals and was in the process of planning a series of bank mergers.
Stairs’ death in September 1904 led Aitken to take control of the company and move to Montreal, where he bought and sold companies, invested in stocks and shares, and developed business interests in Cuba and Puerto Rico.
In 1910, he started a weekly magazine called the Canadian Century, invested in the Montreal Herald, and almost acquired the Montreal Gazette.
In 1907, Aitken founded the Montreal Engineering Company, and in 1909 he also oversaw the building of the Horseshoe Falls hydro station under the umbrella of his Royal Securities Company.
In addition, he also founded the Calgary Power Company Limited – which is now known as the TransAlta Corporation.
Aitken’s acquisition of small regional cement plants in Canada in 1910-1911, including Sir Sandford Fleming’s Western Canada Cement Co. plant at Exshaw, Alberta, resulted in the conglomeration of the cement plants under his company’s control.
However, there were irregularities in the stock transfers. This led to the cement plants’ conglomeration and much criticism of Aitken. There are also accusations of price-gouging and poor management. So, Aitken made a large amount of money by selling his shares.
In Parliament
Aitken moved to Britain in 1910 and befriended Bonar Law, a native of New Brunswick who went on to become the only Canadian Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Aitken persuaded and pleased Bonar Law to support him in the running for the Unionist Party in the general election at Ashton-under-Lyne. Thanks to his organizing skills and plentiful campaign funds, Aitken won the seat by 196 votes.
He was an infrequent speaker in the House of Commons but did promise substantial financial support to the Unionist Party. His contributions were recognized in 1911 when he was knighted by King George V.
While continuing to grow his business interests, Aitken also began building a British newspaper empire during his time in Parliament.
In 1910, after the death of Charles Rolls, Aitken purchased his shares in Rolls-Royce Limited and steadily increased his investment in the company over the next two years.
In 1911, Aitken secretly invested £25,000 in the failing Daily Express. Though an attempt to buy the Evening Standard failed, he successfully gained control of another London evening paper – The Globe.
Career Highlights
William Maxwell Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook, was a powerful Canadian-British newspaper publisher and politician during the first half of the 20th century.
The Daily Express was Aitken’s most influential newspaper since this appealed to the conservative working class.
During the Second World War, Aitken played a major role in mobilizing industrial resources as Winston Churchill’s Minister of Aircraft Production.
By the age of 30, young Max Aitken was already a millionaire, thanks to his knack for making money.
His business ambitions led him to move beyond opportunities in Canada and Britain, where he befriended Bonar Law. With Law’s support, he won a seat in the House of Commons at the December 1910 United Kingdom general election. He was shortly thereafter knighted.
During the First World War, Aitken was instrumental in the removal of H. H. Asquith as prime minister during the First World War and was rewarded for his loyalty to the coalition government by being given a peerage and a Cabinet position as Minister of Information.
After the war, Lord Beaverbrook decided to focus on his business. He turned the Daily Express into a successful mass-circulation newspaper, with sales of 2.25 million copies every day in Britain. With this newfound power, Lord Beaverbrook used the platform to pursue personal campaigns.
Beaverbrook was a supporter of the governments of Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain in the 1930s. He was persuaded by Winston Churchill, another long-standing political friend, to serve as his Minister of Aircraft Production from May 1940.
Beaverbrook resigned from this position due to ill health in 1941 but was later appointed Lord Privy Seal during the war.
In his later life, Beaverbrook ran his newspapers, which included the Evening Standard and the Sunday Express. Then, he served as the Chancellor of the University of New Brunswick. He developed a reputation as a historian publishing his books about political and military history.
Lord Beaverbrook Net Worth
In the years 2021 to 2022, Lord Beaverbrook’s net worth has been developing expressively.
Anyway, how much is Lord Beaverbrook worth at 85 years old?
The pay source of Lord Beaverbrook is generally from being an efficacious Actor. By belonging, he is from Canada.
The total net worth, cash, compensation, pay, and resources of Lord Beaverbrook, we have evaluated all of these.
| Net Worth in 2022 | $1 Million – $5 Million |
| Salary in 2021 | Under Review |
| Net Worth in 2020 | Pending |
| Salary in 2020 | Under Review |
| House | Not Available |
| Cars | Not Available |
| Source of Income | Actor |
Lord Beaverbrook’s Death
Lord Beaverbrook passed away in 1964 at the age of 85.
Prior to his death, he had attended a birthday banquet organized by fellow Canadian press baron Lord Thomson of Fleet.
Although he had cancer, he was determined to be seen in good form.
A bust of him by Oscar Nemon stands in the park in Newcastle, New Brunswick town square, not far from where he sold newspapers as a young boy. His ashes are on the plinth of the bust.
In 1957, a bronze statue of him was erected at the center of Officers’ Square in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
Lord Beaverbrook Social Network
| Wikipedia | |
| Imdb | Lord Beaverbrook |
Timeline
1945
Albert Sylvester was a member of his staff from 1945-1948.
1924
He was an actor and writer known for They Forgot to Read the Directions (1924). He was married to Marcia Anastasia Christoforides and Gladys Henderson Drury.
1910
Father of Hon. Janet Gladys Aitken, John William Maxwell Aitken, the 2nd Baron Beaverbrook (1910-1985), and Captain Hon. Peter Rudyard Aitken. Grandfather of Maxwell Aitken.
1879
Lord Beaverbrook was born on May 25, 1879, in Maple, Ontario, Canada, as William Maxwell Aitken.
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