David Keith Panton (born 15 February 1972) is a Jamaican former senator who served in the Upper House Of Parliament, under the Jamaica Labour Party, on the opposition benches, and who currently serves as president and chief executive officer of Navigation Capital Partners.
David attended The Belair School in Mandeville, Manchester, as well as Princeton University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Economics and Public Policy in 1992.
In 1992, Panton was accepted into both Harvard Law School, as well as the University of Oxford, at the now defunct Templeton College, shuttling between London, England and Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
At Harvard Law School, he became the second black President of the Harvard Law Review (the first being President Barack Obama) and earned a JD in high honours from Harvard Law School in 1997; and at Oxford University where he was awarded the Jamaican Rhodes Scholarship, eventually earning a Doctorate degree (DPhil) in Executive Management also in 1997.
In 1999, Panton married Miss World 1993 and former Minister of Youth in the Jamaican Government, Lisa Hanna; they have a son Alexander Panton, born in 2001. He divorced Lisa Hanna in 2004, and subsequently had a relationship with Miss Universe 1998, attorney Wendy Fitzwilliam; they had a son Ailan Panton, born in 2006. Panton is currently engaged to Heather Fischer, a human rights expert and a former White House official in the first Trump Administration.
References
- Horowitz, Jason (April 23, 2016). "In College Roommate David Panton, Ted Cruz Finds Unwavering Support". The New York Times. Archived from the original on Oct 10, 2022.
- Helderman, Rosalind S.; Hamburger, Tom (January 22, 2016). "How Ted Cruz's best friend drew him into Jamaican politics and business". Washington Post. Archived from the original on Dec 16, 2023.
- Tulshyan, Ruchika (May 24, 2013). "David Panton builds wealth, relationships". Atlanta Business Chronicle. Archived from the original on Jan 13, 2017.
- "David Panton Global Private Equity Expert Joins CEA's Advisory Board". Business Wire. October 16, 2023. Archived from the original on Dec 11, 2023 – via Yahoo Finance.