Isak Andic’s eldest son, Jonathan Andic arrives at the funeral chapel of the founder of Mango, Isak Andic, at the Tanatori Les Corts, on 16 December, 2024 in Barcelona. (Photo by Lorena Sopena/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Anadolu via Getty Images
The death of Isak Andic, the billionaire founder of fashion retailer Mango, has taken another dramatic turn after Spanish authorities arrested his eldest son in connection with the case.
Catalan police confirmed Tuesday that Jonathan Andic had been taken into custody over the December 2024 death of his father, who fell while hiking in the rugged Montserrat mountain range outside Barcelona, Spain.
The arrest, first reported by Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, comes months after investigators initially concluded the incident was accidental.
At the time, authorities said the 71-year-old retail tycoon had fallen from a height near the Salnitre caves in Collbató, a wild natural area known for steep cliffs and ravines. Early findings suggested he may have slipped during the hike, and a judge formally closed the case in January 2025 after determining there was no evidence of criminal conduct.
But prosecutors and the Mossos d’Esquadra, Catalonia’s regional police force, reopened the investigation later that year after identifying what reports described as inconsistencies in Jonathan Andic’s account of the events.
He had reportedly been the only person with his father when the fatal fall down a near 500-ft. ravine occurred.
Investigators Seize Phone
Spanish media outlet El País had previously reported that investigators seized Jonathan Andic’s cell phone shortly after the tragic incident. The publication also cited testimony from Isak Andic’s partner, professional golfer Estefania Knuth, describing an uneasy relationship between father and son that had at times become strained.
According to the reports from Spain, tensions centered on Jonathan Andic’s position within Mango. Isak Andic had gradually handed greater operational control to his son beginning in 2014, only to reassert tighter oversight after the company encountered trading difficulties the following year.
Knuth was also reportedly involved in a dispute with Isak Andic’s three children regarding the terms of the billionaire’s estate.
Isak Andic during the award ceremony for the Kingdom of Spain Business Career Achievement Award on 18 March, 2024 in Barcelona. (Photo By Lorena Sopena/Europa Press via Getty Images)
Europa Press via Getty Images
Catalonia’s High Court said Tuesday that the investigation remains under judicial secrecy, and authorities have released few additional details. For his part, Jonathan Andic has denied any wrongdoing and he has continued to maintain that his father’s death was the result of an accident.
Jonathan Andic joined Mango in 2005 after studying audiovisual communication in the U.S. and business administration in Spain. Two years later he took responsibility for the company’s Mango Man division and eventually became vice chairman of the retailer’s board.
“If you are clear about where you want to go and keep moving forward, you will end up achieving your goals,” he said in a 2023 company promotional video.
Isak Andic Built Fashion Powerhouse
Born in Istanbul, Isak Andic moved to Barcelona with his family from Turkey in the late 1960s. In 1984, he and his brother Nahman opened the first Mango store on Barcelona’s upscale Passeig de Gràcia shopping street.
The brand rapidly expanded during Spain’s post-Franco economic modernization and has evolved into one of the world’s largest fashion groups, with ambitions to make the U.S. one of its top three markets.
Today, Mango operates roughly 2,850 stores across more than 120 markets and employs over 16,000 people worldwide, according to the company. At the time of his death, Forbes estimated Isak Andic’s fortune at approximately $4.5 billion.
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