In 1833 he moved to London and in 1844 was joined by his brother Hermann.
Together, they co-founded Stern Brothers, a financial institution based in London.
[2] Stern was a member of the Commission of Lieutenancy of the City of London,[3] and he was a director of the Imperial Bank.
In 1869, King Luís I of Portugal conferred the noble title of visconde (viscount) on him in recognition of the work of Stern's bank in floating Portuguese loans.
Their son was Sydney Stern, 1st Baron Wandsworth,[5] and their daughter Alice Theresa Lucas was a prospective Conservative Party candidate who was nearly their first woman MP.