Zóbel was born on 18 July 1934 to Alfonso Zóbel de Ayala and Carmen Pfitz y Herrero. His siblings are Maria Victoria and Alfonso Jr.. He is a grandson of Enrique Zóbel de Ayala and Consuelo de Ayala. He is married to Beatriz Miranda. Together they have two sons and five daughters.
Zóbel joined Ayala y Compañía in 1958 as executive assistant upon the invitation of his father. His father placed him under the wing of his cousin Enrique and uncle Col. Joseph McMicking. As an executive assistant in the company, he took down notes during management meetings and gradually learned the ropes of the family business. He was later transferred to the training section of the insurance companies of the Ayala group. In 1975, he became president of Filipinas Life Assurance Company. In 1984, he succeeded Enrique, as chairman and president of Ayala Corporation. Zóbel successfully steered Ayala through the tense, final years of the Marcos administration. In 1988, the real estate division was spun off as Ayala Land, Inc. Ayala Corporation also ventured into new businesses, like automotive. Zóbel stepped down as president of Ayala in 1994 and was succeeded by his son, Jaime Augusto. He continued as chairman until his retirement in 2006 and became the chairman emeritus of Ayala since.
Photography
Zóbel joined the Camera Club of the Philippines in the mid-1970s and began taking photography more seriously. He is the first Filipino amateur photographer to be confirmed “Licentiate” by the Royal Photographic Society of the United Kingdom, and has received similar commendations from the French and Spanish governments for his contributions to art and culture. He exhibits regularly in the Philippines and abroad, and has produced several critically acclaimed books. He continues to break new ground in art photography with explorations in various art media.
Diplomat
Between 1970 and 1975, Zóbel was appointed as the Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St. James's in London, representing the United Kingdom and ambassador of Scandinavian countries.
2008, Hero of Philanthropy, Forbes magazine, special issue Asia magazine initiated this recognition, including four Filipinos: Jaime Zobel de Ayala, John Gokongwei, Ramon del Rosario Jr., and Oscar Lopez. The list recognizes four philanthropists from each of 13 selected countries and territories in Asia
In 2007, Zóbel was ranked as tied with Henry Sy as the richest person in the Philippines, with a net worth of $2.6 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
In 2008, Zóbel and his family were ranked 3rd in Forbes magazine's 2008 list of 40 wealthiest Filipinos, due to a 46% drop in their conglomerate Ayala Corp. shares, which were worth $800 million.
