Mango founder Isak Andic dies aged 71 in mountain climbing accident

The 71-year-old founder of popular fashion brand Mango fell over 100 metres from a cliff while hiking in the Montserrat caves near Barcelona, a police spokesperson confirmed.

He was with family members when he fell.

“His departure leaves a huge void but all of us are, in some way, his legacy and the testimony of his achievements,” Mango’s CEO, Toni Ruiz, said in a statement.

“It is up to us … to ensure that Mango continues to be the project that Isak was ambitious and proud of.”

The businessman was born in Istanbul, Turkey back in 1953 but emigrated to Spain with his family in 1969.

He created the fashion line Mango with the help of his brother, Nahman, in Barcelona in 1984 and the beloved chain now operates almost 3,000 outlets in 120 countries.

Andic’s net worth was reported to be at USD $4.5 billion, according to Forbes.

He was non-executive chairman of Mango when he died.Andic was seen as a rival to Amancio Ortega, the owner of the world’s largest fast-fashion retailer Inditex.

The company had a turnover of 3.1 billion euros in 2023 with 33% of its business online and a presence in markets around the world.

Salvador Illa, the head of the regional government in Catalonia, Spain, hailed Andic as “a committed businessman who, with his leadership, has contributed to making Catalonia great and projecting it to the world”.

“He leaves an indelible mark on the Catalan and global fashion sector,” he added in a post on social network X, offering his condolences.

More to come.