Mango founder’s son steps down as vice-chair amid probe into father’s death
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Mr Jonathan Andic, son of Mango founder Isak Andic, arriving at a court near Barcelona on May 19.
PHOTO: AFP
MADRID – Mr Jonathan Andic, son of Mango founder Isak Andic, said on May 26 he was stepping down temporarily as the fashion group’s vice-chair after being named a suspect in a probe into his father’s death, while strongly asserting his innocence.
“The attention and focus that my defence in the judicial process currently requires do not allow me to maintain the high level of commitment demanded by my role at the company,” Mr Andic said in a letter in Spanish published by news agency EFE.
Mr Andic, who co-owns the Spanish fashion retailer with his two siblings, was arrested last week for questioning over the death of his 71-year-old billionaire father in December 2024.
He was hiking with his father in the Montserrat mountains near Barcelona when Isak plunged to his death on Dec 14, 2024.
Investigators initially treated the death as an accident, but prosecutors reopened the investigation in October 2025, zeroing in on Mr Andic.
He was arrested a week ago, then released after posting bail of €1 million (S$1.5 million).
The presiding judge said in her bail decision that the allegedly “bad relationship” between father and son, driven by Mr Andic’s “obsession with money”, was part of the evidence presented by investigators.
In his letter, Mr Andic described his father’s death as a devastating personal loss, and said he had since been forced to live under what he called an “unfounded and deeply unjust accusation”.
“A public narrative has been created based on a view that is biased, distorted and taken out of context, which has created a perception of guilt that has nothing to do with reality,” Mr Andic, 45, said.
“As happens to so many families”, he and his father “have gone through difficult and complex moments, which we overcame with great effort, generosity and support”, he said.
Members of Mango’s board issued a statement on May 26 in support of Mr Andic, expressing their “full confidence that the legal proceedings will be resolved favourably and trust that this will happen as swiftly as possible”.
Born in Istanbul, Mr Isak Andic moved with his family to Barcelona from Turkey as a teenager in the late 1960s.
He opened his first Mango shop in 1984 with the help of his older brother, Nahman, and quickly built the company into one of the world’s leading fashion groups. REUTERS, AFP
