Mango Founder Isaac Andik Dies in Fall
Eldest Son Present at Scene Named as Suspect
Testimony Alleges "Bad Relationship Between Father and Son"
The death of Isaac Andik, the founder of global fashion brand Mango and a Spanish billionaire, which occurred in December last year, has been reclassified from a mountain accident to a murder case after 10 months. The suspect is his eldest son, Jonathan Andik, 44.
According to reports from Spanish media outlet El Pais and the UK’s Guardian on the 17th (local time), Isaac died after falling 300 feet (about 91 meters) from a cliff while hiking with his eldest son Jonathan in the Montserrat mountain range near Barcelona in December last year. Initially, Isaac’s death was reported as an accidental fall. At the time of his death, he was 71 years old, and the company officially described his death as a “sudden mountain accident.” However, after a 10-month investigation, the presiding judge changed Jonathan’s status from a witness to a suspect.
Investigators became suspicious because Jonathan was the only person present with Isaac at the time of his death, and Jonathan’s statements changed multiple times. Jonathan told police he had left his car at a specific location, but the vehicle was found elsewhere. He also claimed he had not taken any photos at the scene, but it was later revealed that he had taken pictures.
Investigators also referenced testimony from professional golfer Estefania Knut, 52, who had been Isaac’s partner since 2018. Knut told authorities that “the relationship between Isaac and Jonathan was poor.”
The route Isaac and Jonathan were walking at the time of the incident connects the Salnitre Caves and Montserrat Monastery and is known to be a relatively easy path. Authorities also stated that this route is not considered particularly dangerous.
Mango and the Andik family have maintained their trust in Jonathan’s innocence. In a statement, the Andik family said, “We will continue to cooperate with the investigation,” and added, “We hope this process concludes as soon as possible.” Jonathan has not been officially charged with murder and has not been arrested. Investigators said they are reviewing Jonathan’s mobile phone records and the results of the on-site examination.
Andik, who was of Jewish descent, was born in Istanbul, T?rkiye in 1953 and moved to Spain with his family at the age of 13. He demonstrated business acumen from his high school days in Barcelona by selling T-shirts to friends and later entered the clothing wholesale business before opening the first Mango store in 1984. According to Forbes, Andik was serving as Mango’s non-executive chairman at the time of his death, with a net worth of $4.5 billion (about 6.5 trillion won). Mango operates in more than 120 countries and recorded sales of $3.8 billion (about 5.4 trillion won) last year. After Andik’s death, his son Jonathan was appointed vice chairman of Mango’s board and president of the holding company MNG.
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