died this Saturday at noon in a mountain accident in Collbató (Barcelona), as police and business sources have confirmed to this newspaper. Andic, the richest man in Catalonia, has died after falling down a ravine next to a road near the Salnitre caves, which belong to the Montserrat massif. These caves were formerly dedicated to saltpeter exploitation; Its organic shapes served as inspiration for Antoni Gaudí to devise the Sagrada Familia. Andic, 71 years old, was fond of mountains and hiking and was in good shape. The man was spending a day with his family when, at one point during the walk, when he was with one of his children, Jonathan Andic, he slipped and fell from a height of more than 100 meters. The accident occurred “in an area that is difficult to access,” according to the same sources.
The son is the one who alerted 112 around 12:30 p.m. this Saturday. The Medical Emergency System (SEM) has sent a medical helicopter and an ambulance. Upon arriving at the scene of the accident, the doctors were only able to confirm that the man who accidentally fell down a ravine on the way to the Salnitre caves – a path that leads to the Montserrat monastery – had died. According to the Mossos d’Esquadra, Andic traveled to the area with several members of his family, although at the time of the accident he was accompanied only by his only son, Jonathan, from whom the agents have taken a statement as part of the investigation opened to clarify the circumstances of the accident. The EMS professionals have been providing psychological support to the family members throughout the day, the same sources have confirmed. The mountain unit of the regional police, for its part, has taken charge of the extraction of the body.
Dismayed by the loss of Isak Andic, a committed businessman who, with his leadership, has contributed to making Catalonia great and projecting it to the world. He left an indelible mark on the Catalan and global fashion sector. My condolences and those of the entire Government to family, friends and…
— Salvador Illa Roca (@salvadorilla)
“We have seen the helicopters flying over the area and also the firefighters, but they told us that we had nothing to know about what had happened,” a guide to the Salnitre caves explained by phone early in the afternoon. The guide was aware of the incident, but not of the death of a person. And he has indicated that the path on which the accident occurred (which starts from the caves and leads, after almost two hours of walking, to the Montserrat monastery) is crisscrossed by ravines and may be, in some points, hairy.
Andic, non-executive president of Mango and owner of the fashion company, and one of the main fortunes in Spain: his estimated assets stand at 4.5 billion euros and increased last year by 1.8 billion euros. Although he was not very given to public exposure, in recent days he had maintained an intense schedule.
On Thursday at noon, the businessman was present at the presentation ceremony of the future Thyssen Museum in the Saló de Cent of the City Hall. There he spoke with Carmen Cervera in the groups at the end of the event, where the founder of Mango spoke to her about “new projects” with which he was “very excited.” The baroness and the businessman agreed to meet in a couple of weeks, when Cervera returned from his residence in Andorra. Afterwards, he had a meal with the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, and with the Business Minister, Miquel Sàmper, at the Palau de la Generalitat, as confirmed by Government sources. Andic’s next planned public event was a conference for alumni at IESE, which was supposed to be held in November but was postponed because it coincided with the Dana.
“He has left an indelible mark”
“It is with deep regret that we regret to announce the unexpected death of Isak Andic, our non-executive president and founder of Mango, in an accident that occurred this Saturday,” said the CEO of the fashion company, Toni Ruiz. “Isak has been an example for all of us. “He has dedicated his life to the Mango project, leaving an indelible mark thanks to his strategic vision, his inspiring leadership and his unwavering commitment to values that he himself has imbued into our company,” he added in a note released after the 4:30 p.m. “His legacy,” the text adds, “reflects the achievements of a business project marked by success, and also by his human quality, his proximity and the care and affection that, always and at all times, he has transferred to the entire company. organization”. Ruiz has committed to “ensuring that Mango continues to be the project that Isak aspired to and of which he would feel proud.”
The surprising death of Andic has generated a cascade of reactions from the business and political world as the news has emerged. He president Illa, who had seen him just two days before, was “dismayed” by the death of Andic, whom he described as a “committed businessman” who “has contributed to making Catalonia great and projecting it to the world.” Illa has conveyed her condolences to “family, friends and the Mango team.” The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has also added his condolences: “All my love and recognition for your great work and business vision, which has turned this Spanish brand into a world reference in fashion,” he wrote online. social X after 6 p.m. In the same network, the president of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has conveyed his condolences: “I regret the death of Isak Andic, founder of Mango, a leading Spanish business group in the textile and fashion sector at an international level. My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all the company’s workers.” The president of Junts and former president of the Generalitat, Carles Puigdemont, has mourned the death of the founder of Mango, who “knew how to anticipate and lead to create an international brand that has maintained the personality that he wanted to give it.” And the Círculo de Empresarios has expressed its deepest regret for the death of Isak Andic, whom they have defined as an “exemplary businessman.”
The president of Inditex, Marta Ortega, highlighted that Andic’s death is “sad news for all those who were lucky enough to know him and a great loss for the Spanish business world and for the global fashion sector.” In a statement he adds that “Isak Andic has marked an era with his example.” From Tendam, another of the large Spanish textile groups, they remember Andic “as one of the visionaries of the fashion sector in Spain.”
The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, has also expressed his regret: “His passion for fashion, his commitment to society and his deep love for Barcelona and Catalonia have left an indelible mark. Philanthropist, visionary and leader, he has projected our city to the world, turning Mango into a global benchmark and inspiring generations of new talents,” said the mayor before offering his condolences to his family and ensuring that “Barcelona will always remember his legacy with pride.” and gratitude.”
The president of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE) has regretted the death of the founder of Mango, pointing out that it is “a great loss for the Spanish business fabric.” The Círculo de Empresarios has described him as an “exemplary businessman” and the Catalan employers’ association Foment del Treball has defined him as a “reference for the internationalization of Catalan fashion.”
