Mango Founder Isak Andic's Death Is Being Investigated as a Homicide

In December 2024, Isak Andic, the founder of fast-fashion juggernaut Mango, passed away in an alleged accident. As per official reports at the time, the business tycoon fell 100 meters off a cliff while hiking with his family in Montserrat, Barcelona.

Almost a year after his death, the incident is once again under public scrutiny after news of a possible homicide came to light. The reported suspect: Isak’s only son, Jonathan Andic.

Jonathan, who’s currently vice-chairman of the board for Mango Fashion Group, was initially brought into the case as a witness. In his testimony, he recounted that he was walking ahead of his father when he heard the sound of rocks. This reportedly caused him to turn around, only to see the Mango patriarch fall to his demise.

Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia recently revealed that Jonathan is now under investigation as a suspect following inconsistent statements to the police. Isak’s golf partner Estefanía Knuth added fuel to suspicions when he told investigators that “the relationship between father and son was bad.”

As per the paper, the police still have no definitive evidence to explain Isak’s death. Instead, they’ve “come across a series of clues which, when taken together, had led them to move away from the idea of a mere accident and toward the possibility of a homicide”.

All this has prompted the police to reassess the evidence and also look into Jonathan’s phone records. La Vanguardia added that the judge overseeing the case changed the 44-year-old’s status from witness to possible suspect last September.

In response to the allegations, the Andic family told media that they will respect the ongoing investigations and will cooperate with authorities. “They are also confident that this process will be concluded as soon as possible and that Jonathan Andic’s innocence will be proved," read the full statement in a Reuters article.

Isak was born on October 1, 1953 to a Jewish family in Istanbul. They eventually emigrated to Catalonia when he was 14 years old. In his working years, he entered the fashion industry through wholesale in retail before founding Mango in 1984, alongside his brother Nahman Andic.

The fashion retailer grew exponentially and has since penetrated 110 countries with over 2100 stores around the world. According to Forbes, the company's international sales constitute three quarters of the brand’s revenue. As Mango’s largest shareholder, Isak had a net worth of $4 billion at the time of his death.

After Isak passed, Jonathan was appointed vice-president of Mango’s board and president of its holding company MNG. He started working for the brand in 2005. Two years later, he began managing the Mango Man line with the challenge of launching it on a global scale.