Isak Andic, the 71-year-old founder of fast fashion giant Mango, died last December after falling nearly 100 metres while hiking with his son in the Montserrat mountain range near Barcelona.
It was ruled as an accident by police until this past week, when Spanish media outlets began reporting that authorities were investigating the death as a potential homicide. His son, Jonathan Andic, is allegedly being considered as a suspect.
The Times have reported that this change is due to inconsistencies in Jonathan Andic’s testimony, prompting a judicial review.
In a statement issued to Reuters, representatives for the Andic family said: “The Andic family has not commented, and will not comment, on Isak Andic’s death. It wishes to show respect for the ongoing proceedings and will continue co-operating fully with the authorities. The family is confident that this process will end soon and that Jonathan Andic’s innocence will be proven.”
But a court has placed the 44-year-old businessman under formal investigation for homicide, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais. The publication claims this is due to Andic’s “contradictory statements” and “grey areas” in his two accounts of the events on December 14. His version of events does not align with the forensic evidence collected in Montserrat, the newspaper reports.
Investigators also cited the testimony of Isak Andic’s partner, the Spanish golfer Estefanía Knuth, who described relations between father and son as “bad”.
No direct evidence of foul play has been found, but the court has reportedly ordered secrecy over the proceedings while police attempt to verify or dismiss the circumstantial clues. A spokesperson for the Catalan courts service added that the judicial investigation “is not — nor has it been — directed against any specific person”.
The explosive news stories have come at an already emotional time for Jonathan Andic, who is expecting his first child with his wife, the PR boss and influencer Paula Nata.
The details of Isak Andic’s death
On December 14, 2024, Isak Andic and his son Jonathan walked along the Les Feixades path in the Montserrat mountain range. While Montserrat does have some challenging hikes and a summit of 1,236 meters (4,055 feet) above sea level, this path is a relatively easy 5km trail that attracts walkers of all ages every single day. Their route linked the Salnitre caves in Collbato with the Montserrat monastery, which is around 720 meters (2,362 feet) above sea level. It was described by investigators as “not especially dangerous”.
Andic died on the return journey when he was not far from the car park at the foot of Montserrat monastery. According to reports, Jonathan Andic claimed he heard the sound of stones falling behind him, before turning around to see his father fall off a cliff in an unfenced section of the mountain. Isak Andic fell 100 metres (328 feet) and died instantly, as per Reuters. According to the Catalan regional police (Mossos d'Esquadra), there were no other witnesses to Isak’s fall.
In lieu of witnesses, La Vanguardia newspaper reported last week that authorities had allegedly searched Jonathan Andic’s phone for more evidence. However, the newspaper claimed that investigators had not found any conclusive evidence linking Jonathan to his father's death during the 10-month probe.
The House of Mango and the Andic family history
Before Isak Andic became Catalonia’s richest person, he was a young boy living in Turkey, born into a Sephardic Jewish family in Istanbul. The Andic family emigrated from Turkey to Barcelona in 1969, when Isak was 16. Already imbued with an entrepreneurial spirit, Isak and his brother Nahman started flogging hand-embroidered “made-in-Turkey” T-shirts and clogs on the city’s streets before opening physical stores in Barcelona and Madrid, where they sold their own brand, at that point titled “Isak Jeans”. Between the late 70s and early 80s, Isak launched several multi-brand wholesale stores in Barcelona under the name “Izak”.
In 1984, a 28-year-old Isak Andic met Enric Casi, who pitched him a more unified vision. After trademarks were rejected for the names “Bubbles” and “Scooter”, Mango was born. Its name was inspired by a holiday Andic had taken to the Philippines, where he had tried the fruit for the first time. “A name that is spelled and sounds the same in all languages,” the Mango Fashion Group’s origin story explains, “Isak was already thinking of a short name that could be identified in all languages without translation.”
Isak Andic opened the first Mango store in 1984 at number 65 of Barcelona’s Passeig de Gracia. By 1992, Mango had expanded to Portugal, and by 1991 the brand had stretched into Asia, with openings in Singapore and Taiwan. Mango launched its website in 2000, jumping on the bandwagon of e-commerce early, and by 2002 it had physical retail locations on all continents.
The eldest boy becomes the successor
By 2010, Isak Andic ranked as Spain's second-wealthiest individual. As Mango's largest shareholder, Andic was worth an estimated $4.5 billion at the time of his death. He was the richest person in Catalonia and one of the richest in Spain.
He left behind three children — Jonathan, Judith, and Sarah — all of whom he shared with his ex-wife, Neus Raig Tarragó. Jonathan, the eldest boy, has worked at Mango since 2005 and was named Isak’s successor over a decade ago, in 2012.
“Andic's eldest son has not only risen to second place in the group's corporate hierarchy but has also acquired a stake in the company. What is clear from the report is that the family's eldest son has also joined the board of directors,” Spanish newspaper El Confidencial reported in 2013.
By the time of his death, Isak was largely retired from daily management at Mango, although he remained a key influence in the company’s wider strategy. Upon his death, Mango’s board appointed Toni Ruiz, the chief executive, as its chairman. Jonathan currently serves as vice-chairman on the company’s board. He married his partner Paula Nata, a communications and PR boss, last September, just two months before his father’s death. The couple are currently expecting their first child.
