[7] He grew up at Denbigh Farm in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Corsair in Hobe Sound, Florida.

[1][2][3][4][6] He started his career as private secretary to the president of the World Bank, Eugene "Gene" Robert Black, Sr.

[1][3][9] He then was vice president and assistant to the chairman of the Chase Manhattan Bank, David Rockefeller, from 1963 to 1981.

[2][3][9] In 1980 he ran "Project Alpha", a secret operation backed by David Rockefeller intended to give sanctuary in the US to the exiled Shah of Iran, and later to discouraging the new Iranian regime from releasing the American hostages before the 1980 election to help Ronald Reagan's chances of defeating President Carter.

[2][3][11] He was then appointed by President George H. W. Bush to serve as the Chief of Protocol of the United States from 1989 to 1991.

[3][7][9][11] He returned to the UN, serving as Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Special Representative for Public Affairs from 1992 to 1997.