Gaston Gradis

Gaston Gradis was a French businessman and explorer. He came from a wealthy family of Bordeaux shipowners. After serving as an artillery captain in World War I, he became the head of various transport and trading businesses. He is known for having undertaken the first crossing of the Sahara by automobile in 1924.

Gaston Gradis was born in Paris onMay 1889, from an old family of Bordeaux shipowners. His family, which was Jewish, had been granted the right to obtain property in the colonies by Louis XVI. His parents were Raoul Gradis and Suzanne Fould. His grandfather, Henri Gradis was a grandson of Laure Sarah RodriguesHenriques. He was a nephew of Georges Schwob dHricourt and cousin of Germaine de Rothschild , wife of douard Alphonse James de Rothschild .

Source: Wikipedia