LA Fire Victim Posing as Rothschild Leaves Mystery Behind

William de Rothschild, who died in a house fire, was revealed to be an impostor with no ties to the famous banking dynasty.

William de Rothschild, who died in a fire at his Laurel Canyon home on November 27, was found to have no actual connection to the Rothschild family despite years of claiming the name.
Born William Alfred Kauffman in Colorado, he legally changed his name to William Alexander de Rothschild in 1985, citing a preference for his mother's surname.
De Rothschild was described by neighbors as wealthy and sophisticated, owning a collection of luxury cars, though many details about his life remain unverified.
His brother, Richard Kauffman, stated that the family had presumed him dead for decades after he disappeared in the 1960s or 1970s and had no further contact with their parents.
The cause of the fire and de Rothschild's motivations for adopting the name remain under investigation, with no evidence he sought financial gain or fame from the identity.