It began with a good idea and a kjolebutik in Ringkøbing and ended up with one of Denmark’s largest fortunes. The billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen is known as a skilled businessman, but has also received criticism for his behavior during the coronakrisen.
however, It is far from the first time that Denmark’s richest man gets the criticism. The sky a wealthy and his dad has never been afraid to go across the border to meet the selling the work, tøjimperiet Bestseller.
While most danes probably have become acquainted with the Bestseller’s fashion brands which among other things, Only, Vero Moda and Jack & Jones, so it’s probably limited how much they know about the man behind Denmark’s richest individual Anders Holch Povlsen.
The royal merchant, who, according to Berlingske Business has a fortune estimated at 56,2 billion, has made a virtue out of to live such an anonymous life as possible. Well taught by the past.
Around the turn of the millennium was the family focal point in the two cases of kidnapping and threats, where the first a former soldier broke into their home and put threatening letters. Later, a son for a best-selling architect kidnapped in Bangladesh, where the kidnappers thought that they had got hold of Anders Holch Povlsen.
Since, the family has been very pressesky. There lived out from the motto that ‘he who lives quietly, lives well’, told Anders Holch Povlsen in an interview with the stock Exchange in 2018.
However, there are exceptions to the rule. The fast billionaire is storsponsor of formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen, where you can see him at the racetracks as support.
Also the red carpet Anders Holch Povlsen visited due to his friendship with the crown prince. Among other things, he participated in the crown Prince’s 50-årsfødselsdag, just as he also goes hunting with Denmark’s future king.
the History of the Bestseller begins, however, far away from the polished wood floors – namely, in 1975, with Anders Holch Povlsens parents, Eric and Meredith Holch Povlsen.
A dyslexic Troels Holch Povlsen with 67,000 dollars in the back pocket was taken to the middle of jutland, Herning, where he should read to konfektionstekniker on Tekstilskolen. He did never get an exam.
His uncle had a factory that made dresses. It was not so good, but so did Troels Holch Povlsen is a good idea.
“I could see in the lists, he had no customers in Ringkøbing, so I found a room from which we could sell the summer dresses to the tourists,” said Troels Holch Povlsen of Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten in 1999.
As the 25-year-old, he took over the shop, which was called the Pigalle. One store quickly became for the four in the Scene, and then came more stores in other royal cities.
Shortly after created Troels Holch Povlsen also has its own engrosdel, and so was the Bestseller empire of the seriousness of the founded. An empire, as he drives along with his wife.
In 1999, the Bestseller 612 stores worldwide and a turnover of 2.5 billion. In the 2018/2019 sounded turnover of over 26 billion, and the chain had 2.750 shops.
The wild development is due not least to the second shot on the Bestseller tribe, Troels Holch Povlsens oldest son Anders Holch Povlsen.
He assumed already as the only 28-year-old in 2001 the parents ‘ life’s work – after he had followed the family business close during his childhood and youth.
“Later, I began to truant from gymnastiktimerne, for I would rather over in the warehouse and lend a hand. I was fascinated by what was happening over there. I was probably 13-14 years old,” said Anders Holch Povlsen to the stock Exchange in 2018.
in Addition to the best-seller in Europe, owner Anders Holch Povlsen also a best-selling empire in Asia, as he was a few years ago took over from his father, and which he owns with two partners. It is supposed that the asian part is several billion worth.
A large part of his milliardindtjening Anders Holch Povlsen invested far and wide. He has large stakes in nemlig.com, dicountkælden Normal as well as in onlinetøjpotalerne Asos and Zalando.
in Addition, he has acquired over the 11 estates and country houses in Scotland, which has made, that he owns more land in Scotland than the british queen.
the Bestseller’s success, however, has a not so nice back. The empire is known for affordable clothes, and several times, the company is under both Troels and Anders Holch Povlsen has been accused and convicted to copy the pants, shoes and jewelry.
the Company has also been repeatedly criticized for the working conditions at the factories, among others, in India, where Bestseller gets sewed much of her clothing.
Ander Holch Povlsen has been in close contact with the police. In 2015 he was taken in to run the 212 km/h in his luxury Tesla on a jutland highway, which cost him his driving licence.
in Addition, environmental organisations and local bulkheads have criticized his big acquisitions in Scotland, while denmark has received criticism in order to pay off that get moved a public way by his goods Constantinsborg city a little further away, as it bothered him.
Author Søren Jakobsen, who has written several books on the Bestseller, says:
“Anders Holch is a somewhat demanding person, for he believes that he can demand anything. But it he was so gotten away with until now,” he says.
Maybe he has it not from strangers. In 1997, explained his father to the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, why he had bought the estate Gyllingnæs by Otter:
“I can afford to do it, I want to,” he said.
But much to suggest that Holch Povlsens luck to get away with bad cases used up.
The latest time Bestseller got massive criticism for that guys 750 employees a few days into the crisis – and then to refuse to pay the rent in its stores, before you got the part in an aid package from the state. Several critics believe that the billionaire should spend of their own wealth first.
It takes Berlingskes erhvervskommentator, Jens Christian Hansen, also:
“There is no doubt that he likviditetsmæssigt is the pressure, but he has a moderkoncern with almost 30 billion. kr. in the fortune. Partly it would suit the Ander Holch also that the use of the capital saved, rather than send so great a part of the bill to the treasury, and partly, it would dress up a so big company like Bestseller, you communicated just a little bit with the outside world that he is a part of, and which has given him the opportunity to establish such a large and gilt-edged business,” he says.
Professor of economics Anders Drejer has in the past said to B. T., that even if Anders Holch Povlsens behavior can be perceived as cynical, then it is ‘commercially’ the correct decision.
Sunday turned rigmanden nevertheless, on a plate and announced that he now intends to pay the rent.
“I would like to apologize for our handling and sorry if we accidentally stepped next to some landlords,” says Anders Holch Povlsen to Finance.
B. T. would like to interview Anders Holch Povlsen to this article. Bestseller is not returned on our request.
