John Adams Morgan obit

John Adams Morgan, Banker and Ex-Husband of Real Housewives of New York Star Sonja Morgan, Dead at 94

The great-grandson of legendary financier J.P. Morgan was also an Olympic gold medalist

 

He was not on the list.

MORGAN--John Adams. The trustees, fellows, and staff of the Morgan Library & Museum mourn the passing of John Adams Morgan, a devoted trustee of the Morgan for over 34 years and longtime member of its Finance Committee. Mr. Morgan's close familial ties with the Morgan reached back to his great-grandfather J. Pierpont Morgan, whose remarkable collection forms the foundation of the institution. John's unwavering dedication to the Morgan's mission to celebrate and share the history and process of human creativity will not be forgotten. We extend our deepest sympathies to Connie Morgan and all the members of the Morgan family. G. Scott Clemons, Co-Pres. Robert K. Steel, Co-Pres. Colin B. Bailey, Katharine J. Rayner Dir.

John Adams Morgan has died at the age of 94. He was the founder and chairman of Morgan Joseph, and his great-grandfather was the legendary financier J. P. Morgan. An Olympic sailor, he was married to Real Housewives of New York star Sonja Morgan, his fourth wife, from 1998 to 2006.

On Friday, Feb. 7, Quincy Adams Morgan, his daughter with Sonja, announced on her Instagram Stories that her father died in early February. She cited an obituary published by The New York Times on Thursday, Feb. 6: "As an obituary was published yesterday, I want to take the opportunity to tell you all myself that my father passed away this month," Quincy, 24, wrote.

"My family is navigating this together," she continued. "I very much loved and admired my dad. I am so grateful for the love and care I have been shown in these past weeks."

Quincy also posted a photo of herself as a little girl looking up to her father.

Sonja has not addressed her ex-husband's death publicly on social media. PEOPLE reached out to Sonja and her reps for comment.

John was born in 1930 in Oyster Bay on New York’s Long Island. His parents were Henry Sturgis Morgan — the the co-founder of Morgan Stanley — and Catherine Frances Lovering Adams, a descendant of U.S. Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams whose father served as U.S. Secretary of the Navy. Morgan attended the Groton School before graduating from Yale in 1953.

Morgan competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki in the 6 Metre yacht race. He won a gold medal as a member of the boat’s six-member team.

Morgan began his banking career at Dominick & Dominick before moving to Smith Barney, now part of Morgan Stanley’s Wealth Management. In 1982, he established his own firm, Morgan Lewis Githens & Ahn, Inc.

He spoke to The New York Times in 1986 about the decision to start a small firm, noting, "The physical and mental pressures of investment banking are tremendous. Here the atmosphere is more pleasant and the pace is survivable.''

The outlet noted that in banking "pedigree opens doors," so his background helped "build the network of relationships, alliances and directorships that has made his small house among the most profitable of the new investment boutiques." The firm was eventually sold, and Morgan co-founded Morgan Joseph in 2002.

Morgan also served on the board of trustees of the Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan, which began as J.P. Morgan’s private library in 1906 and became a public institution in 1924. It is a New York City designated landmark and a National Historic Landmark.

Morgan rarely gave interviews, though in 2000 he commented to The Wall Street Journal on the merger of Chase and J.P. Morgan Bank. "I don't think that anybody in the family can have any emotional reaction. Nobody in the family had been really involved in the bank for a number of years," he told the outlet of the company that bore his family’s name.

He added that the Morgan family — unlike the Rockefellers, whose family was linked to Chase — were not particularly close. "We see each other once in a while," he said.

Morgan was married five times. In 1953 he married Elizabeth Robbins Choate. They welcomed son John Adams Morgan Jr. in 1957 but divorced that same year.

In 1962, he married Tania Goss. They shared one child, Chauncey Goss Morgan, and the marriage also ended in divorce. He married Anne Chute in 1992.

Morgan married Sonja, then Sonja Tremont, in 1998. The pair met when Sonja worked as a hostess at a Manhattan restaurant. They welcomed a daughter, Quincy Adams Morgan in 2000. They divorced in 2006.

“My breakup is pretty boring,” she told The Daily Beast in 2019, telling the outlet that they got engaged on the first date. “We were in love, and then we broke up. There was no drama. We still love each other, and it was painful for both of us.”

Sonja also addressed their divorce during a 2021 episode of RHONY. "I lost my best friend and a wonderful marriage,” Sonja said. “Is he dead? No. But for all intents and purposes, for me, he's gone. I had to make a choice for my daughter, and I feel so bad. Maybe I should have stayed with him and made sure she had everything she needed and got more time with me. Did I make the right decision?"

Morgan married his fifth wife, Connie, in 2010.

He is survived by his wife and children.