Jonas Vailokaitis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 25 June 1886 |
| Died | 16 December 1944 (aged 78) |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, businessman, politician |
| Political party | Farmers' Association Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party |
| Spouse | Aleksandra Vailokaitienė |
| Relatives | Brothers Juozas Vailokaitis and Viktoras Vailokaitis |
| Awards | Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas (1938)[1] |
Jonas Vailokaitis (; 25 June 1886 – 16 December 1944) was a Lithuanian banker and industrialist. He as his brother Juozas Vailokaitis were widely regarded as the richest men in interwar Lithuania. He was one of the twenty signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania.
Vailokaitis was educated at the Higher Commercial Courses in St. Petersburg. In 1912, brothers Jonas and Juozas moved to Kaunas and established the Company of Brothers Vailokaitis which provided loans to Lithuanians who wanted to buy land. During World War I, the company sold supplies and food to both the Russian Imperial Army and the Imperial German Army. At Vilnius Conference of 1917, Vailokaitis was elected to the Council of Lithuania which adopted the Act of Independence of Lithuania on 16 February 1918. In 1919, Vailokaitis co-founded the Farmers' Association on which ticket he was elected to the Constituent Assembly of Lithuania in April 1920. In the assembly, he served as chairman of the budget and finance commissions. He resigned from the Constituent Assembly in March 1922, but continued to be influential in the ruling Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party.
Together with his brother, Vailokaitis established Ūkio bankas which became the largest commercial bank in interwar Lithuania. Using profits from the bank, Vailokaitis brothers established or bought several industrial enterprises, most successful of which were Palemonas (brickyard) and Metalas (metal factory). Vailokaitis was shareholder and vice-chairman of the Bank of Lithuania. His wealth attracted substantial criticism from political opponents, particularly from the Lithuanian Communist Party. He was accused of conflict of interest, currency speculation, avoidance of taxes, etc. Vailokaitis supported various charitable causes, including financial backing for the Klaipėda Revolt, land donation to the newly established University of Lithuania, and scholarships to about 200 Lithuanian students. After the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in June 1940, he moved to Nazi Germany, where he died in 1944.