Ricardo was born in London on 19 November 1792 into the wealthy family of Portuguese origin.
[1] He was a younger son of successful stockbroker Abraham Israel Ricardo and Abigail (née Delvalle) Ricardo, a daughter of Abraham Delvalle (also "del Valle").
[2] The Ricardo family were Sephardic Jews of Portuguese origin who had recently relocated from the Dutch Republic.
[4][5][3][6] He was also the business partner of his nephew John Lewis Ricardo, with whom he became an investor and director of the Electric Telegraph Company.
[citation needed] Ricardo died at Grosvenor Place in London on 14 November 1862.