High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Sir Ernest de Silva (26 November 1887 – 9 May 1957) was a Sri Lankan business magnate, banker, barrister and public figure, considered to be the most prominent Sri Lankan philanthropist of the 20th century. A wealthy and influential polymath, he was the founder-chairman of the largest bank in Sri Lanka, the Bank of Ceylon, governor of the State Mortgage Bank and chairman of the Ceylon All-Party committee. He made many contributions to Sri Lankan society and is also considered to be the preeminent philatelist in the history of Sri Lanka. Upon Sri Lanka's independence, he was asked to become the first Ceylonese Governor General (representative of the King in Ceylon, i.e. de-facto head of state), an honour he declined for personal reasons. De Silva was at the pinnacle of upper-class society and, as the wealthiest Sri Lankan of his generation, he defined the island's ruling class. His memorials describe him as highly respected for his integrity...