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John Key

AKA John Phillip Key

Born: 9-Aug-1961
Birthplace: Auckland, NZ

Gender: Male
Religion: Agnostic
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Government, Business

Nationality: New Zealand
Executive summary: Prime Minister of New Zealand

John Key's father was an alcoholic Englishman who died mere weeks after leaving the family in 1969, when John was seven years of age. His mother was a Jewish refugee from Austria, who raised him and his two older sisters alone. As a teen he enjoyed political debate, especially arguing his National Party loyalties with his mother, a staunch Labour supporter. In high school he was a stand-out debater, and won honors in economics. After earning a degree in commerce at the University of Canterbury, he worked in business and as an investment banker in New Zealand for more than a decade, then joined Merrill Lynch for posts in Singapore, London and Sydney. His rise was meteoric and made him a millionaire several times over, and his timing was also excellent -- in three of his finance positions, his employers faced serious ethics or criminal investigations after he left, and Key was never implicated in any of the scandals.

He returned to New Zealand in 2001 to run for Parliament, a first step, he confided to his sisters, toward his childhood dream of being Prime Minister. He won the Helensville seat the following year on the National Party ticket, and with his business background he soon became his party's finance spokesman. He was made Party Leader on 27 November 2006, and elected Prime Minister two years later, ousting Helen Clark and the Labour Party on his promise to lead a moderate, center-right government.

Father: George Keys (restaurateur, b. circa 1914, d. 1969 heart failure)
Mother: Ruth Lazar Key (b. circa 1923, m. Sep-1948, d. 2000 pneumonia)
Sister: Elizabeth Key (b. circa 1949)
Sister: Susan Key (b. 1958)
Wife: Bronagh Dougan Key (high school sweetheart, m. 1984, two children)
Daughter: Stephie (b. circa 1993)
Son: Max (b. circa 1995)

    High School: Burnside High School, Christchurch, NZ (1979)
    University: BS Commerce, University of Canterbury
    University: Harvard University

    Prime Minister of New Zealand (2008-)
    Member of New Zealand Parliament (2002-08)
    Merrill Lynch Global Director of Foreign Exchange (1995-2001)
    Bankers Trust New Zealand Foreign Exchange Director (1988-95)
    Elders Merchant Finance Trader (1985-88)
    Canterbury International Junior Executive (1982-85)
    Funeral: Nelson Mandela (2013)
    Austrian Ancestry (maternal)
    Jewish Ancestry (maternal)
    English Ancestry (paternal)


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