Inside Angelina Jolie’s ‘Business Meeting’ With Billionaire David Mayer de Rothschild: Details

Out on the town. Angelina Jolie raised eyebrows after a recent lunch with British billionaire David Mayer de Rothschild, but the outing was strictly business.

The pair were spotted leaving Nobu in Malibu on Thursday, March 23, with the Eternals star, 47, donning a black dress that featured cutouts on the side. She paired the look with a matching black jacket, heels and sunglasses. Rothschild, 44, meanwhile, dressed down in a gray sweater and coat, as well as navy pants.

While fans were quick to wonder whether the meal was a date, a source tells Us Weekly that Jolie and the environmentalist “were not alone at their lunch,” which was just “a business meeting.”

According to Page Six, the outing lasted three hours. While little is known about his current relationship status, The New York Times reported in 2020 that Rothschild married actress Karina Deyko.

The Oscar winner, for her part, previously sparked romance rumors with The Weeknd after they were spotted together in July 2021. “Both Angie and Abel are telling people that they are just friends, but those who know them think something romantic is going on,” a source exclusively told Us two months later, adding that the “Blinding Lights” singer, 33, was “in awe” of Jolie.

Jolie’s most prominent relationship to date is her former marriage to Brad Pitt, from whom she filed for divorce in September 2016 after two years of marriage. At the time, a rep for the Maleficent star told Us, “This decision was made for the health of the family.” (The former couple were declared legally single in 2019 and share kids Maddox, 21, Pax, 19, Zahara, 18, Shiloh, 16, Vivienne, 14, and Knox, 14.)

Despite agreeing in November 2018 to avoid going to trial over custody, the situation took a turn in August 2020 when the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider actress requested to disqualify the judge presiding over the case, John W. Ouderkirk, whom she claimed had not disclosed prior working relationships with Pitt, 59. At the time, Pitt insisted there was a “well-documented history” of his connection with the judge, who was eventually removed from the case in July 2021.

Following the decision, Pitt argued in court documents that the motion should be reviewed once more by California’s highest court. (The Fight Club actor was previously granted custody by Ouderkirk in May 2021.)

Amid the messy legal battle, Jolie also claimed in court documents obtained by Us that the Bullet Train star was “physically and emotionally abusive” toward her and their kids on a flight from California to France in September 2016. In October 2022, a source told Us that the Babylon star felt “sick to his stomach” about Jolie’s allegations, adding, “He maintains [that] it’s lies and that Angelina will stop at nothing to ruin his name.”

As her fight for custody rages on, Jolie has turned her focus on her family and other philanthropic efforts. While it’s unclear what she and Rothschild discussed during their lunch, the two share a passion for making the world a better place. The U.K. native — who is the heir to the famous Rothschild family fortune — previously worked as a sustainability ambassador for Hyundai. His Instagram bio also states that his goal is to “warn and inform people about global warming.”

The Girl, Interrupted star, for her part, served as a Special Envoy to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, a role from which she stepped down in December 2022 after 20 years of work.