John L. Gokongwei, Jr.(traditional Chinese: ; Peh- e-j : Gô Ek-hui; born August 11, 1926 in Gulangyu, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China) is a Chinese Filipino businessman with holdings in telecommunications, financial services, petrochemicals, power generation, aviation and live stock farming. As of 2011, Gokongwei is the third richest entrepreneur in the Philippines with a networth of $2.4 billion, ranking behind only to Lucio Tan and Henry Sy.[1] Contents [hide] y y y y 1 Profile 2 External links 3 See also 4 References [edit] Profile He is the chairman of JG Summit Holdings, one of largest conglomerates in the Philippines. In 2005, his company spent $700 million of internally generated funds which was used to buy new aircraft for his airline, Cebu Pacific Air. From 2003 up to the present his telecom company Digitel Telecommunications Philippines spent nearly $800 million for its mobile carrier, Sun Cellular which is the 3rd largest mobile operator in the Philippines as of 2008. He is currently negotiating a $1 billion takeover of UIC[disambiguation needed], a property giant from Singapore of which he owns in excess of 30%. UIC[disambiguation needed] controls Singapore Land, one of the biggest property landlord in Singapore. Gokongwei also owns Universal Robina Corporation, one of the largest manufacturer of snacks in the Philippines. He also controls Robinsons Land one of the biggest property developers in the Philippines which also operates a chain of malls. He was born into a wealthy Cebu-based family, originally from China's Fujian province. The family fortune was lost when his affluent father died. He started his business career during World War II, buying and selling rice, clothing and scrap metal. He is married, and has six children. His only son, Lance Gokongwei, is now in charge of the Gokongwei Empire, serving as president and COO while his father serves as Chairman Emeritus. On August 29, 2007, at the Ateneo de Manila University, Gokongwei¶s biography, ³John L. Gokongwei Jr.: The Path of Entrepreneurship´ by the University¶s Dr. Marites A. Khanser, was launched, and it narrated the ³riches-to-rags-to-riches´ story of the tai-pan. Gokongwei stated that entrepreneurship is a way out of poverty. Khanser's book also enumerated the Nine Rules of business success[2] that Gokongwei followed since he was still a young businessman. In 2002 Gokongwei donated P200-million to the undergraduate school of management. He also gave donations to University of San Carlos, Xavier School, De La Salle University, Sacred Heart School and Immaculate Conception Academy.[3] my father died suddenly of complications due to typhoid. I would bring them to watch movies for free at my father¶s movie houses. Everything I enjoyed vanished instantly. 2008. then and still one of the country¶s top schools. Because they needed to escape the turmoil in China.).. we lost everything-our big house. they migrated to the province of Cebu here in Philippines where his grandfather Pedro Gotiaoco operated a successful chain of movie houses. our cars. or J. I also lost half my friends. My father¶s empire was built on credit. Ramón del Rosario Jr. John Gokongwei Story started in 1927 in the Chinese province of Fujian where he was born. and Ayala. and for taking away all that I enjoyed before. I topped my classes and had many friends. air transportation (Cebu Pacific Air). PAL.). His business empire company known as John Gokongwei Summit Holdings. . When the free movies disappeared. for short has been one of the most successful conglomerate in the Philippines today competing with more solid names such as SM Malls.The list is composed of 4 philanthropists each from 13 selected countries and territories in Asia.[5] [edit John Gokongwei life story is another rags to riches success story of a true Filipino Taipan entrepreneur. When I was 13. Summit Holdings.G. John Gokongwei. Summit Petrochemical Corp.). telecommunications (Sun Cellular and Digitel). When he died. Forbes Asia magazine¶s first Heroes of Philanthropy list included 4 Filipinos . A chauffeur drove me to school everyday as I went to San Carlos University. Inc. of Singapore.[4] John Gokongwei and fellow businessman Andrew Gotianun are cousins.On February.Jaime Zobel de Ayala. including the first air-conditioned one outside Manila.G. Inc. our business-to the banks. I felt angry at the world for taking away my father. I spent my childhood in Cebu where my father owned a chain of movie houses. It has business interests in branded consumer foods (Universal Robina Corp. and United Industrial Corp. petrochemicals (J. banking and financial services (Robinson¶s Bank). I was the eldest of six children and lived in a big house in Cebu ¶s ForbesPark. and Óscar López. real estate property development (Robinson¶s Land Corp. Let¶s view another entrepreneur story as we witness Gokongwei¶s inspiring story with the various challenges that he faced delivered as part of his speech to the ad congress: I was born to a rich Chinese-Filipino family. She and I stayed in Cebu to work. My mother sent my siblings to China where living standards were lower. The pesos I made in the palengke were the pesos that went into building the business I have today. I cried to my mother. I can do anything!´ Looking back. I was surrounded by other vendors. I woke up at five o¶clock every morning for the long bicycle ride to the palengke with my basket of goods. I wonder. a widow at 32. After each day. China Bank. office. so people wanted and needed the basics: soap to keep them clean. From Cebu. I laid out my goods-soap. What can you do? Your father died with 10 centavos in his pocket. And WE can play to win! This was one lesson I picked up when I was a teenager. But she said: ³You should feel lucky. flour. I saw the opportunity for trading goods in post-war Philippines. In 1957. But being young had its advantages. I would transport tires on a small boat called a ³batel´. I expanded and began trading goods between Cebu and Manila. And I have had 66 years to practice self-determination. and we sent them money regularly. Then. and thread-and kept selling until everything was bought. When I wanted something. candles. I chose one among several palengkes a few miles outside the city because there were fewer goods available for the people there. When that ran out. I did not tire as easily. I put up Amasia Trading. if I can support my whole family at 15. The whole family began helping out with the business. I set up a table about three feet by two feet in size. my mother and I got my siblings back from China. at age 31. approved a P500. And so I continued to work. ³If I can compete with people so much older than me. But we have to play those cards the best we can. and fruits from the United States. I would make about 20 pesos in profit! There was enough to feed my siblings and still enough to pour back into the business. When that wasn¶t enough. candles to light the night. I would then purchase other goods from the earnings I made from the tires. to sell in Cebu. when World War II ended.´ So. My mother sold her jewelry. what can I do? I worked. which imported onions. especially one who had never worked before. And they knew the ways of the palengke far more than a boy of 15. I was 20 years old. what would have happened if my father had not left my family with nothing? Would I have become the man I am? Who knows? The important thing to know is that life will always deal us a few bad cards. Why these goods? Because these were hard times and this was a poor village. In 1948. I told myself. With my brother Henry. I spotted an opportunity in corn-starch manufacturing. After this experience. But I was going to compete with Ludo and Luym. . I was also more aggressive. old newspapers and magazines. only to refuse my loan. I borrowed money to finance the project. Some people have no shoes to walk to school. In 1943. There. I would load them into a truck for the six-hour trip to Manila. Many of them could be my grandparents. and warehouse all at the same time. The first bank I approached made me wait for two hours. I would end up sitting on top of my goods so they would not be stolen! In Manila. used clothing.000-peso clean loan for me. and thread to sew their clothes.On the day I had to walk two miles to school for the very first time. I also converted a two-story building in Cebu to serve as our home. we sold roasted peanuts in the backyard of our much-smaller home. the best person to depend on was myself. I opened a small stall in a palengke (market). all of them much older. the richest group in Cebu and the biggest cornstarch manufacturers. After traveling for five days to Lucena. It has been my guiding principle ever since. and I moved more quickly. The second one. By 1976. we set up businesses against market Goliaths in very high-capital industries: airline. I believe this battle helped define who I am today. too. Interestingly. I just hired my first Executive Assistant and moved into a bigger and nicer office. I always reply that if it were not for me. See. the banker who extended that loan. They started doing jobs here and there even when they were still in high school. In all three. When dad died at age 34. I felt that our money must be invested here. Lose some. and tried. who always kids me that I caused him to lose his job. I chose to fight. Six years ago. shareholders quickly filled up the auditorium to witness the battle. In another article. the price war also forced the closure of a third cornstarch company.be. Panda corn starch. From that. Many Filipinos were already sending their money out of the country. win some. but safe. but I still thank Dr. then one of the Philippines¶ biggest corporations. and agro. I could have walked away from them. I succeeded because I overcame my fear. The San Miguel board of directors itself even aid for an ad in all the country¶s top newspapers telling the public why I should not be on the board.I knew that I had to be there to teach them what I knew. and it was time for me to bring in more people. more employees. he will not be one of the richest men in the Philippines today. conventional wisdom bet against us.industrial products under the Robina Farms brand. I had acquired enough shares to sit on its board. And my loss was highly publicized. But I was able to prove to others-and to myself-that I was willing to put up a fight. When my business grew. Universal Corn Products was still left standing. Building a business to the size of JG Summit was not easy. We were nervous and excited at the same time. It is the foundation upon which JG Summit Holdings now stands. Today. Albino Sycip said that he saw something special in me. I taught to my children. I learned that one must teach people to take over a business at any time. . not many business opportunities were available due to the political and economic environment. But my children tease me because I still go to the office every day and make myself useful. I announced my retirement and handed the reins to my youngest brother James and only son Lance. we had built significant businesses in food products anchored by a branded coffee called Blend 45. Dr. the professionals. Let me tell you about the three most recent challenges. But I still believe that this was one of my defining moments. In a twist to this story. Since then. Upon launching our first product. Many challenges were thrown my way. After the smoke cleared. a price war ensued.my family. telecoms. I was described as a pygmy going up against the powers-that. By 1976. but the challenges haven¶t stopped coming. My brother James and I had prepared for many hours for this debate. at age 50. and one of their chemists was Lucio Tan. The media called me an upstart. In the end. On the day of reckoning.Years later. That year. I did not get the board seat because of the Supreme Court Ruling. I¶ve become known as a serious player in the business world. But this did not mean I won each time. keeping the business small. the consultants. Instead. I decided to purchase shares in San Miguel. Sycip to this day. I was invited to sit on the board of Anscor and San Miguel Hong Kong 5 years later. and beverage. I still wonder what that was. The values of hard work that I learned from my father. ³Who is Gokongwei and why is he doing all those terrible things to San Miguel?´ ran one headline of the day. I faced one of my biggest challenges. In that decade. As a Filipino. and lost. he did not leave a succession plan. How did we do this? By sticking to our philosophy of ³low cost. In 2012. and developed a brand for the mobile phone business called Sun Cellular. Inspired by the low-cost carrier models in the United States. we believed that an airline based on the no-frills concept would work here. It all worked. Customers can avail themselves of a tiered pricing scheme. Inc. with promotional seats for as low a P1. 2: In 2003. routes and destinations. 1: In 1996. Today. These are smaller planes that can land on smaller air strips like those in Palawan and Caticlan. The question in everyone¶s mind was how we could measure up to the two telecom giants. Cebu Pacific offers incentives. we were actually involved in a transaction to purchase PLDT shares of the majority shareholder. Largely because of Cebu Pacific. the dominant airline in the country was PAL. No hot meals. Operating with a single aircraft type.000 passengers. Now you don¶t have to take a two-hour ride by mini-bus to get to the beach. We want to see more and more Filipinos see their country and the world! Challenge No. Prior to the launch of the brand. great value. we hope to reduce that ratio to 1 out of 6. but it launched digital mobile technology here. Cebu Pacific also made it convenient for passengers by making online booking available. Mono-class seating. No newspaper. we are the largest in terms of domestic flights. thus enabling Cebu Pacific to pass on savings to the consumer. by continuing to offer low fares. the average Filipino can now afford to fly. In 2005. In January. We also have the youngest fleet in the region after acquiring new Airbus 319s and 320s. with over 120 daily flights to 20 local destinations and 12 Asian cities. with 24 daily flights to 3 destinations. When we started 11 years ago. the cheaper your ticket. we established Digitel Mobile Philippines. we expect to fly more than five million passengers. We could now build our platform from a broader . 1 out of 12 Filipinos flew within a year. However. They were entrenched and we were late by eight years! PLDT held the landline monopoly for quite a while. we decided to start an airline. my son Lance and I had a vision for Cebu Pacific: We wanted every Filipino to fly. Globe was a younger company. new ATR planes will arrive. and was first in the mobile phone industry.´ And we stick to that philosophy to this day. and if you wanted to travel cheaply. Faster turn around time. Cebu Pacific flew only 360. But being a late player had its advantages. This year.Challenge No. The earlier you book. At the time. You went by sea or by land. you did not fly. they could get in touch with anyone within the Sun network at any time. One that refreshes yet gives the health benefits of green tea. A drink that cools and cleans.lately allowed us to create and launch more innovative products. Sun Cellular. We set up a small factory in Hong Kong to manufacture Jack and Jill potato chips there. Once again. C2 immediately caught on with consumers. it wasn¶t a walk in the park. It is a third player. Within one year of its introduction. There goes the principle of self-determination. Challenge No. and C2. We knew that the Philippines was not a traditional tea-drinking country since more familiar to consumers were colas in returnable glass bottles. For P250 a month. Indeed. this made the market ready for a different kind of beverage. In the end. Being a Johnny-come. We would offer Filipinos to call and text as much as they want for a fixed monthly fee.thus. we launched C2. So we just made sure we came prepared with great products and great strategies. And as I firmly believe. we have over 4 million subscribers and 2000 cell sites around the archipelago. We knew we could have been crushed at the word go. This means great savings of as much as 2/3 of their regular phone bill! Suddenly.perspective. like many of us. The concept was simple. more quickly. We positioned it as a ³spa´ in a bottle. To be a truly great nation. I have always wondered. C2 is in a good place. Iced tea was just a sugary brown drink served bottomless in restaurants. so have we done in the telecom world: We have changed the marketplace. I tell you. I thought that this product would have huge potential here. Today. hardly was there any significant product innovation in the beverage business. a playground of cola companies. the paradigm shifts . it works for individuals as it does for companies. We worked with more advanced technologies and intelligent systems not available ten years ago. the JG Summit team took control of its destiny.this time in the telecom industry. We decided to play anyway. we are all over Asia. It all began when I was in China in 2003 and noticed the immense popularity of bottled iced tea.chips brand in Malaysia and Singapore. the green tea drink that would change the face of the local beverage industry ² then. Sun¶s 24/7 Call and Text unlimited changed the landscape of mobile. Sun Cellular is a Johnny-come. And as we have done in the realm of air travel. In a country where 97% of the market is pre-paid. Sun hit one million customers. Moreover. we must also excel as entrepreneurs before the world. we sold 100. it works for nations. in an industry where Cassandras believed a third player would perish. we had little experience in this area. but it¶s doing all right.phone usage. 3: In 2004.000 bottles in the first month. but a significant one. And we did so in industries where old giants had set the rules of the game. We are the . C2 was born. But precisely. We chose our suppliers based on the most cost-efficient hardware and software. We must create Filipino brands for the global market place. It¶s not that we did not fear the giants. With Cebu Pacific. again. All these provided us with the opportunity to give the consumers a choice that would rock their world. When we launched C2 in 2004. why we Filipinos have not lived up to our potential. Admittedly. Three years later. we believe we have hit on the right strategy. it is all about making life better for the consumer by giving them choices. we gained traction. For many years. We ended up changing the rules of the game instead. Today.lately. We have the number-one-potato. Filipinos drink around 30 million bottles of C2 per month. Universal Robina Corporation is the leader in snack foods but our only background in beverage was instant coffee. When we started our own foray outside the Philippines 30 years ago. we would be entering the playground of huge multinationals. His father owned the biggest movie house in Cebu and Gokongwei Jr.leading biscuit manufacturer in Thailand. John L. the market place has expanded: between cities. Gokongwei lived a privileged life then. Unlike some of his contemporary Chinese-Filipino businessmen. I want to urge you all here to think bigger. I did. Create world-class brands. (born August 11. I want to see other Filipinos do the same. I am 81 today. I still want to make good.. I sold peanuts from my backyard. Fujian Province. Xiamen. . think of ways to sell and market your products and services to the world. between continents. 1926 in Gulangyu. aviation and live stock farming. both his parents migrated and settled in Cebu. selling over 3 million bottles a month there. Gokongwei Jr. In 2010. When you go back to your offices. C2 is now doing very well in Vietnam. China) is a Chinese-Filipino businessman with diverse businesses that includes telecommunications. financial services. Why serve 86 million when you can sell to four billion Asians? And that¶s just to start you off. property development. Forbes listed Gokongwei as the third richest man in the Philippines with a networth of USD1. Soon. As a boy. petrochemicals. Because there is still the world beyond Asia. we will launch C2 in other South East Asian markets. and a significant player in the candy market in Indonesia. I still believe hard work will not fail me. Through the years. after only 6 months in the market. I still believe in family. would often treat his friends.5 billion (P66 billion). I still don¶t mind going up against those older and better than me. But I do not forget the little boy that I was in the palengke in Cebu. between countries. When he was just barely a year old. I sell snacks to the world. Our Aces cereal brand is a market leader in many parts of China. And I still believe in people willing to think the same way. Contents [hide] 1 Early beginnings 2 Business career 3 Philanthropy 4 Personal life 5 External links 6 References 7 Citation [edit] Early beginnings John Gokongwei was born to John Gokongwei Sr. You can if you really tried. Today. and Juanita Marquez Lim. 1993 and acted as the holding firm for all of Gokongwei¶s companies. Seeing an opportunity for import trading. the young Gokongwei. His mother Juanita had no choice but to break up the family and send some of his siblings back to China. Cebu Foodarama. However. the JG Summit Holdings was incorporated (PSE: JGS). office and high-rise residential buildings (Galleria Corporate Center. suddenly passed away after a wrong blood transfusion needed after he contracted typhoid fever. Gokongwei Sr. During those years. In 1980. It was listed on August 9. The other passengers clung on to the tires he was going to sell upon reaching Manila and thus. private housing (Robinsons Homes) and hotels (Crowne Plaza). Cloud 9 and Great Taste Coffee.But in 1939. Gokongwei revealed in interviews that it was a very humiliating experience. makers of popular snack food products such as Jack & Jill. [edit] Business career After the Second World War broke out. Alberto SyCip. Gokongwei was forced to fend for himself after his granduncle could no longer support him. But Gokongwei was ambitious and was not contented in just peddling his wares by bicycle. Manuel Gotianuy. the batel he was riding sank after hitting a rock. he established Universal Robina Corporation (PSE: URC). father of Washington SyCip and the Chairman of the Board of China Bank. he put up his first retail store. It was publicly listed in 1989. Gokongwei established his first company. It was his first taste of being a businessman. Gokongwei entered the real estate industry by establishing Robinsons Land Corporation (PSE: RLC) which operates on four markets namely: shopping malls (Robinsons Malls). the first and largest integrated polyethylene and polypropylene petrochemical facility was established In that same year. Once. In 1968. Ten years later. American-Asia Trading. He would travel from Cebu to Manila selling stuffs via the batel or a small boat. He then entered what he called the ³Batel Age´. . Gokongwei acquired 20 percent stake in the Toledo Power Corporation. In 1990. Robinsons Summit). pedalled his wares using his bicycle. In 1994. he quickly realized that tariffs will eat up his margins and so he ventured into manufacturing business and set up Universal Corn Products in 1956 using a loan granted to him by Dr. the JG Summit Petrochemical Corporation. Gokongwei was left under the care of his granduncle. All their assets were immediately seized by the creditors and the young Gokongwei was barred from entering their movie house. preventing Gokongwei from losing his wares. The GBF provides funding for education projects. Marcia Gokongwei-Sy and Hope Gogkongwei-Tang hold various positions in the Gokongwei Group. Summit Media was launched with its first magazine. In 2007. De La Salle University. in which 34 Filipinos were selected for a full year of scholarship to Beijing Language and Culture University in Beijing. In 2008. ³Preview´. Lance Gokongwei. Faith Gokongwei-Lim. Gokongwei acquired Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB)with four DC-9 aircrafts.In 1995. on his 80th birthday. [edit] Philanthropy In 1992. . the launched the GBF China Scholars. In 2003. Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng.25 billion pesos to his foundation. China. Gokongwei donated his 25 percent shareholdings in JG summit or P10. Robina Gokongwei-Pe. he was a recipient of Forbes Asia magazine's Philanthropy award. [edit] Personal life Gonkonwei is married to Elizabeth Yu-Gokongwei. The aviation company claimed the number one spot in domestic market. Gokongwei opened the first Mini-Stop Convenience Store. Gokongwei Brothers Foundation. In 2000. Ateneo de Manila University and University of San Carlos. nonprofit Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF). In 1997. Immaculate Conception Academy. His children. which also included Jaime Zobel de Ayala. It had its Initial Public Offering (IPO) on October 26. The GBF has also established a technical training facility. In 2006. Gokongwei Group of Companies entered the financial services by putting up Robinsons Savings Bank. a thrift bank. He also donated another P50 million to University of San Carlos. Gokongwei established the nonstock. 2010. he launched Sun Cellular under Digital Telecommunications (PSE: DGTL) (acquired in 1993) to compete against telecommunication giants Globe Telecom and Smart Communications. Among the beneficiaries of the GBF were: Xavier School. Ramon del Rosario and Oscar Lopez. In 1996. Ateneo de Manila . his biography. In 2007. a Chinese immigrant during the 19th century.He is the cousin of Andrew Gotianun. Gokongwei Jr. became one of the richest Filipino during those times. Jr. He received his Masters in Business Administration in De La Salle University and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. John L. [edit] References John Gokongwei. richest to rags to riches Gokongwei does a Buffett The art of an entrepreneur Khansar. was launched at Ateneo de Manila University. also a descendant of the prominent Go clan. His great-grandfather Don Pedro Gotiaoco. Jr.: The Path of Entrepreneurship written by Dr. Marites A. Marites A. [edit] External links JG Summit The Philippines' 40 richest Business Week People info . The Path of Entrepreneurship'. 'John L. Gokongwei Jr.John Gokongwei. Khanser. [2] Contents [hide] y y y y y y y y 1 Early life 2 Personal life and entry into fashion o 2. She was the second daughter of Albert Chanel and Jeanne Devolle. menswear-inspired fashions. when she was 12 years old. a market stallholder and laundrywoman respectively at the time of her birth. She had five siblings: two sisters. She was the founder of one of the most famous fashion brands. Her birth was declared by employees of the hospital in which she was born. Her parents married in 1883.COCO CHANEL*COCO CHANEL*COCO CHANEL* Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel (19 August 1883 ± 10 January 1971)[1] was a pioneering French fashion designer whose modernist philosophy. Her extraordinary influence on fashion was such that she was the only person in the couturier field to be named on Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century. the young Chanel spent six years in the orphanage of the Roman Catholic monastery of Aubazine. Alphonse (born 1885).[3] This misspelling made the tracing of her roots almost impossible for biographers when Chanel later rose to prominence. and pursuit of expensive simplicity made her an important figure in 20th-century fashion. where she learned the trade of a seamstress.1 World War II o 2. Chanel. They. Julie (1882±1913) and Antoinette (born 1887) and three brothers. Lucien (born 1889) and Augustin (born and died 1891). Chanel's mother died of tuberculosis and her father left the family. In 1895. could not provide or confirm the correct spelling of the surname and it was recorded by the mayor François Poitou as "Chasnel". France.2 Later years and death 3 Film depictions 4 Literary depictions 5 Stage depictions 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External links [edit] Early life Chanel was born in Saumur. School . Because of this. being illiterate. but he was never faithful to Chanel. and affiliated with the circus of Moulins as a cabaret singer. it was at Moulins that she met rich. to whom she soon became an acknowledged mistress. Gabrielle Dorziat modelling a Chanel hat. in late 1919.[5] The affair lasted nine years. Chanel began designing hats as a hobby. was the single most devastating event in . he did not completely break off with Chanel. Balsan lavished on her the beauties of "the rich life": diamonds. notably his jersey blazers. and Chanel herself said that it was a "shortened version of coquette. [edit] Personal life and entry into fashion While she failed to get steady work as a singer.vacations were spent with relatives in the provincial capital. His death in a car accident. During this time. Published in Les Modes. suggests that the fashion designer's nephew André Palasse²supposedly the only child of her sister Julie²may actually have been Chanel's child by Balsan. While living with Balsan. When Coco turned eighteen. keeping her day job in a tailoring shop. The couple spent time together at fashionable resorts such as Deauville. but even after Capel married an aristocratic English beauty in 1918. "After opening her eyes. which soon became a deeper interest of hers. Coco left Balsan and took over his apartment in Paris. Biographer Justine Picardie. Chanel performed in bars in Vichy and Moulins where she was called "Coco. she was obliged to leave the orphanage." Some say that the name comes from one of the songs she used to sing. and pearls. May 1912." as she would say. young French textile heir Étienne Balsan. Captain Arthur Edward 'Boy' Capel. inspired her creation of the Chanel look.[4] Capel financed Chanel's first shops and his own clothing style. where female relatives taught Coco to sew with more flourish than the nuns at the monastery were able to demonstrate. In 1909 Chanel met and began an affair with one of Balsan's friends. in her 2010 study Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life (Harper Collins). dresses." according to an article in The Atlantic. the French word for 'kept women. [8] Later in life. Chanel was registered as a couturiere and established her maison de couture at 31 rue Cambon. creating a corporate entity. she concocted an elaborate false history for her humble beginnings.[9] Fashionable like Deauville.[8] Chanel's modiste career bloomed once theatre actress Gabrielle Dorziat modelled her hats in the F Noziere's play Bel Ami in 1912 (Subsequently. During this temporary sojourn it was rumoured that they had an affair.Chanel's life. Chanel would steadfastly claim that when her mother died.[8] catering to the wealthy Spanish clientele who holidayed in Biarritz and were less affected by the war. titled Chanel-Biarritz. composer of The Rite of Spring. In 1920. Dorizat modelled her hats again in Les Modes). her father sailed for America to get rich and she was sent to live with two cold-hearted spinster aunts.[8] By 1919. to whom she extended an offer for him and his family to reside with her.[8] Chanel launched her career as fashion designer when she opened her next boutique.[citation needed] Perfume Chanel No. Chanel created loose casual clothes made out of jersey. She even claimed to have been born in 1893 as opposed to 1883. where she introduced luxe casual clothes that were suitable for leisure and sport. "Parfums Chanel. she was introduced by ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev to Igor Stravinsky.[6] A roadside memorial at the site of the accident was placed there by Chanel. directors of the eminent perfume house Bourgeois since 1917.[7] Chanel became a licensed modiste (hat maker) in 1910 and opened a boutique at 21 rue Cambon.5 In 1924." .[8] In 1913. a material typically used for men's underwear. Paris named Chanel Modes. Chanel made an agreement with the Wertheimer brothers. who visited it in later years to place flowers there. in 1915. she established a boutique in Deauville. and that her mother had died when Coco was two instead of twelve. Pierre and Paul. She believed that it was not a time for fashion. On 5 May 1941. Aubazine.[13] became Chanel's muse. the Duke of Westminster. Chanel said she had agreed to the arrangement to "see what the pictures have to offer me and what I have to offer the pictures. she wrote to the government administrator charged with ruling on the disposition of Jewish financial assets. and Chanel used her position as an ³Aryan´ to petition German officials to legalize her right to sole ownership. She introduced Chanel to her uncle. cousin to the last czar of Russia. The introduction was made through a mutual friend.[15] It was in 1931 while in Monte Carlo that Chanel made the acquaintance of Samuel Goldwyn. which was also noteworthy for being the preferred place of residence for upper echelon German military staff. 5."[16] [edit] World War II In 1939. The reason may be found in her answer. Chanel worked for more than twenty years to gain full control of "Parfums Chanel."[12] In 1925." the Wertheimers. which had been luxuriously outfitted specifically for her use.[9] During the German occupation Chanel resided at the Hotel Ritz. During that time she was criticized for having an affair with Hans Günther von Dincklage.[10] Displeased with the arrangement. née Sarah Gertrude Arkwright. There is only one Chanel. marketing and distribution of Chanel No. he would bring her to Hollywood twice a year to design costumes for MGM stars. 5.[14] In 1927 she built Villa La Pausa in Roquebrune on the French Riviera hiring the architect Robert Streitz. Vera Bate Lombardi.´[11] Coco dated some of the most influential men of her time. and also her liaison to a number of European royal families."[10] She proclaimed that Pierre Wertheimer was ³the bandit who screwed me. The villa has a staircase and a patio inspired by her orphanage. The Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich. were Jewish. the Duke of Windsor. For the sum of a million dollars (approximately seventy-five million today).[13] reputedly the illegitimate daughter of the Marquess of Cambridge. Chanel No. but she never married. and many other aristocratic families. Lombardi also had the highest possible social connections. Chanel accepted the offer. when asked why she did not marry the Duke of Westminster: "There have been several Duchesses of Westminster. at the beginning of World War II. a German officer and Nazi spy who arranged for her to remain in the hotel. For ten percent of the stock. La Pausa has been partially replicated at the Dallas Museum of Art to welcome the Reves collection and part of Chanel's original furniture for the house. Chanel closed her shops. Chanel licensed her name to "Parfums Chanel" and removed herself from involvement in all business operations. Nicolas II. her cousin. She also maintained an apartment above her couture house at 31 rue Cambon. Her grounds for proprietary ownership were based on the claim that ³Parfums Chanel ³is still the . En route to California from New York traveling in a white train car. she was interviewed by Colliers magazine in 1932. Chanel established the English look based upon Lombardi's personal style. Goldwyn offered Chanel a tantalizing proposition. The directors of "Parfums Chanel. specifically the Nazi seizure of all Jewish owned property and business enterprises provided Chanel with the opportunity to gain the full monetary fortune generated by "Parfums Chanel" and its most profitable product. World War II.The Wertheimers agreed to provide full financing for production. re-negotiating the original 1924 contract. one¶s teeth would be set on edge. legally turned control of ³Parfums Chanel´ over to a Christian. The financial benefit to herself would be enormous. Chanel was a very close friend of Walter Schellenberg to the extent that when he died of cancer penniless in Turin. French businessman and industrialist. Her earnings would be in the vicinity of twenty-five million dollars a year. Chanel received wartime profits of Chanel No.[14][22] When Lombardi refused. 5 in the amount of some nine million dollars in today¶s money. ." an attempt by Nazi spymaster Walter Schellenberg to make secret contact with Lombardi's relative Winston Churchill. who was living in Rome. but avoided trial due to intervention by the British Royal family. She invited Lombardi to come to Paris and renew their work together.´ she wrote. she was arrested as a British spy by the Gestapo. and in the future her share would be two percent of all Chanel No. Felix Amiot.[19][20] Chanel¶s friend and biographer Marcel Haedrich provided a telling estimation of her wartime interaction with the Nazi regime: ³If one took seriously the few disclosures that Mademoiselle Chanel allowed herself to make about those black years of the occupation. Chanel was later charged as a collaborator. after four years of professional separation. This was actually a cover for "Operation Modellhut.[17] ³I have. designed by Chanel. Chanel paid for his funeral.´[21] In 1943. anticipating the forthcoming Nazi mandates against Jews had. Chanel contacted Lombardi. ³an indisputable right of priority«the profits that I have received from my creations since the foundation of this business«are disproportionate«[and] you can help to repair in part the prejudices I have suffered in the course of these seventeen years.property of Jews´«and had been legally ³abandoned´ by the owners.´[18] Chanel was not aware that the Wertheimers. 5 sales worldwide. making her at the time one of the richest women in the world. On 17 May 1947.[14] Haute Couture suit circa 1960. the Wertheimers and Chanel came to a mutual accommodation.[17] Ultimately. in May 1940. Pierre Wertheimer.´ In return. He was transferred to France in 1943 where he became Chanel's Paris SS contact. attempting to revive her youthful years as the kept woman of wealthy men. the same year she returned to the fashion world.[28] . who was responsible for the murder of thousands of Poland's Jews early in World War II. She died on Sunday 10 January.[25] Her new collection did not have much success with the Parisians because of her relationship with the Nazis. she moved to Switzerland. then eighty-seven years old. Walter Kutschmann.[9] The re-establishment of her couture house in 1954 was fully financed by Chanel¶s old nemesis in the perfume battle.[27] She had gone for a long drive that afternoon and. Kutschmann made frequent trips to Spain with Chanel with large sums of money passing between them.[24] [edit] Later years and death In 1945. was tired and ailing but continued to adhere to her usual schedule. Wertheimer would pay for all of Chanel¶s expenses from the large to the trivial for as long as she lived. eventually returning to Paris in 1954. at the Hotel Ritz where she had resided for more than thirty years.Some references[23] suggest that Coco Chanel had close contact with another Nazi. had retired early to bed. overseeing the preparation of the spring collection. This new contractual agreement would also allow Wertheimer to maintain ownership of ³Parfums Chanel.[26] In early 1971 Chanel. Wertheimer agreed to an unusual arrangement proposed by Chanel herself. not feeling well. who became her faithful customers. it was applauded by the British and Americans. However.