Billionaire proprietor of Mango trend empire dies in mountain accident | EUROtoday

The founding father of the style empire Mango died on Saturday in a mountain accident, the corporate has mentioned.

Isak Andic, 71, died after slipping from a 150-metre cliff whereas mountaineering with family within the Montserrat caves close to Barcelona, in accordance with the Spanish newspaper The Vanguard.

Another Spanish outlet, The Countryreported that he fell down a ravine close to the Salnitre caves, into an “area of difficult access” whereas with certainly one of his sons, Jonathan Andic.

Mr Andic’s son alerted emergency providers at round 12:30pm native time on Saturday, the outlet reported, and an ambulance and helicopter had been despatched to the scene.

“Isak has been an instance for all of us,” an announcement from Mango CEO Toni Ruiz mentioned. “His departure leaves a huge void but all of us are, in some way, his legacy and the testimony of his achievements.

“It is up to us, and this is the best tribute we can make to Isak and which we will fulfil, to ensure that Mango continues to be the project that Isak aspired to and of which he would feel proud.”

The police force’s mountain unit has taken control of extracting his body, according to reports in Spain.

Mr Andic moved to Spain’s northeastern region of Catalonia from Turkey in the 1960s. He founded Mango in 1984 and built up a net worth of $4.5bn (£3.56bn). He was the non-executive chairman of Mango when he died, and was seen as a rival to Amancio Ortega, the owner of Inditex, the largest fast-fashion retailer in the world.

Mango’s turnover was €3.1bn (£2.58bn) in 2023, with 33 per cent of its business online and a presence across more than 120 markets. It has more than 14,000 employees working in more than 2,700 stores in more than 110 countries.

The fashion brand’s first UK store opened in 1999, and there are more than 60 stores across the country. Catalonia’s president Salvador Illa Roca said he was “dismayed” by the lack of Mr Andic, describing him as a “committed businessman” who contributed to “making Catalonia great and projecting it to the world”.

Mr Roca added: “He leaves an indelible mark on the Catalan and global fashion sector. My condolences and those of the entire government to family, friends and the Mango team.”