Henry Grunfeld died on June 10, a few days after celebrating his 95th birthday with his family and close colleagues. He had maintained his regular attendance at his office at Warburg Dillon Read, and his interest in the business and activities of the firm, until the day before his death.
Henry Grunfeld first met Siegmund Warburg at the Hotel des Indes in the Hague in March 1935, through connections of Albert Voegler, head of Vereinigte Stahlwerke, the largest steel combine in Europe and owner of a Berlin private bank, Comes & Co. The Dutch sister of this bank was part of a group sponsoring a company in London called New Trading Company, as a vehicle for Siegmund Warburg.
It was arranged that Grunfeld should stop at the Hague on his way to London from Germany, where he had given up all his positions. There he was introduced to Siegmund Warburg and decided to link his future with the New Trading Company. At first, Grunfeld had his own company with adjoining offices, but after two years New Trading Company bought Grunfeld's company in exchange for shares which in due course became shares of Mercury Securities and thereafter SG Warburg Group.