You May Also Like. Their father Ernest Wertheimer had invested in cosmetics-maker Bourjois in the late 19th century, and they had the logistical firepower to produce and distribute Chanel fragrances and beauty products worldwide. The Wertheimers and Baders were both Jewish families from the Alsace region of eastern France, and shared strong cultural and linguistic bonds. Under the terms of their partnership, the Wertheimers owned 70 percent of the company, while representatives of Bader held 20 percent, and Chanel herself 10 percent.
That distribution would soon lead to conflict. As early as , Chanel would contest the terms of the deal, launching a barrage of legal procedures. Things came to a head during World War II. The outbreak of war forced the Wertheimers to flee France for New York City, while Chanel closed down her couture house, leaving only a perfume boutique open. During this time, the Wertheimers continued to produce No.
Keen to put past disagreements behind them and to continue growing the business, he negotiated a revised partnership agreement with Coco Chanel. In a move that confounded some observers, who had written off the disgraced designer after the war, he also acquired full ownership of her couture house and helped orchestrate her comeback after years of exile in Switzerland.
It proved to be a savvy decision, as in the next three years, she would go on to create the quilted handbag, tweed suit and two-toned pumps, brand signatures that would survive her for more than half a century and continue to thrive today. A generational handover would soon signal another period of transition for the house. Pierre Wertheimer passed away in , leaving his son Jacques in charge. In , the rest of the family decided to sideline the executive, whose behavior had become increasingly erratic, putting Alain Wertheimer in charge at the age of just Meanwhile, their half-brother Charles Heilbronn runs the family office Mousse Partners, whose operations are characteristically opaque.
Chanel sold Bourjois to Coty Inc. Most published photographs of the siblings show them at the racetrack. The Wertheimers are almost pathologically private, living a life that is the embodiment of quiet luxury. In , the private company published consolidated financial results for the first time in its history, and in , former Unilever executive Leena Nair took over as global CEO from Alain Wertheimer, setting in motion a wide-ranging reshuffle of its top executive ranks.
