He was a senior executive for the Royal Dutch Shell group for more than 30 years.
From 1957 until 1977 he was married to Esther "Nonni" Gordon, who is from Johannesburg, South Africa.
They had three children, including the 5th Viscount, Jonathan Herbert Samuel.
[2] Samuel only held the viscountcy for one month, after his brother had died on 7 October 2014.
The 4th Viscount Samuel then died in Westport, Connecticut, on 7 November 2014 at the age of 89.