Fashion giant 'Mango' founder Isak Andic’s son arrested over tycoon’s death in 2024

Spanish police on Tuesday said they had arrested Jonathan Andic, the eldest son of Mango founder Isak Andic, in connection with the billionaire businessman’s death during a hiking trip in December 2024.

Jonathan Andic, 45, was alone with his father when the 71-year-old retail magnate fell to his death in the Montserrat mountains near Barcelona. Catalan regional police confirmed he was taken into custody and escorted in handcuffs to a court in Martorell for questioning.

Sources close to the family, cited by AFP, said they had “total” confidence in Jonathan Andic’s innocence, adding that “there is no and will not be any legitimate evidence against him”.

They also said they believed “the course of the investigation will demonstrate this,” and called for “respect for the presumption of innocence.”

Authorities had initially treated Isak Andic’s death as an accident, saying he appeared to have slipped near the Salnitre caves in Collbato, an area known for steep drops and ravines. A judge closed the case in January 2025 after finding no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

However, the investigation was reopened in October 2025 after police, prosecutors and the court reportedly found inconsistencies in Jonathan Andic’s testimony.

Spanish newspaper El Pais had reported that investigators seized Jonathan Andic’s phone shortly after the incident. The report also cited testimony from Isak Andic’s partner, professional golfer Estefania Knuth, who described at times tense relations between father and son. According to the newspaper, the two had disagreed over Jonathan’s role in the company. Isak Andic reportedly handed him greater operational responsibility in 2014 before taking back tighter control a year later during business difficulties at Mango. Knuth was also reportedly involved in a financial dispute with Isak Andic’s three children over the businessman’s will.

Catalonia’s High Court said details of the case remain under judicial secrecy.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Andic has denied any involvement in his father’s death and has maintained the fall was accidental. He joined Mango in 2005 after studying audiovisual communication in the United States and business in Spain. Two years later, he began managing the Mango Man line and later became vice-chairman of the company’s board. “If you are clear about where you want to go and keep moving forward, you will end up achieving your goals,” Jonathan Andic said in a 2023 Mango promotional video posted on YouTube.

Born in Istanbul, Isak Andic moved to Barcelona with his family from Turkey in the late 1960s. He founded Mango in 1984 with his brother Nahman after opening the brand’s first store on Barcelona’s Paseo de Gracia.

Mango later grew into one of the world’s leading fashion retailers, operating around 2,850 stores in more than 120 markets and employing over 16,400 people globally.

In December 2023, Isak Andic transferred 5 per cent of the company to Mango CEO Toni Ruiz, who currently leads the group. At the time of his death, Forbes estimated Isak Andic’s fortune at $4.5 billion.