August Belmont IV
August Belmont IV (December 30, 1908 – July 10, 1995) was an American investment banker and thoroughbred racehorse owner. He was born in New York City to August Belmont III and Alice W. de Goicouria, the fourth generation in a family of bankers and horsemen. When he was about 19, he inherited Belcourt Castle in Newport, Rhode Island from his uncle Oliver Belmont, but he did not keep it, and it was later given to another uncle, Perry Belmont.
A Harvard graduate, Belmont started in the securities business in 1931 with Bonbright & Co. He spent the rest of his career in investing and, in the late 1940s, joined Dillon, Read & Co. at the invitation of his close friend Douglas Dillon. He became a partner and served as president from 1962 until his retirement in 1971.
Belmont was married twice. His first marriage, in 1931, was to Elizabeth Lee Saltonstall; they had four children and divorced in 1946. He then married Louise Vietor Winston. In 1982 he became chairman of The Jockey Club.
After retiring, he lived in Syosset on Long Island, New York, and later moved to Easton, Maryland, where he died in 1995 at age 86. Belmont followed his family’s tradition of owning racehorses. He owned horses such as Dew Line, Heed, Quadratic, and Caveat, the latter of which won the 1983 Belmont Stakes.
Belmont also served on the boards of several organizations, including Dillon, Read & Co.; The Jockey Club; the American Museum of Natural History; New York-Presbyterian Hospital; and the American Kennel Club. The Belmont Stakes is named after his great-grandfather, August Belmont, founder of Belmont Park.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 21:27 (CET).