The Life, Success, and Suspicious death of Mango’s Founder

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cS_ZM4NsKM

Isak Andic Ermay (1953–2024) was a Turkish-Spanish businessman best known as the co-founder of Mango, one of Europe’s most successful global fashion brands. Born in Istanbul into a Sephardic Jewish family, Andic emigrated to Barcelona in 1969. Like many immigrants, he arrived with modest resources but strong entrepreneurial ambition.

His first business venture was simple: selling hand-made T-shirts imported from Turkey. During the 1970s, he expanded steadily, opening multi-brand stores in Barcelona and Madrid. The decisive turning point came in 1984 when he unified his business under one name — Mango — inspired by a tropical fruit he had tasted abroad. He envisioned a globally recognizable brand built on efficient distribution, strong branding, and international expansion.

Unlike its major competitor Inditex (owner of Zara), Mango relied heavily on franchise partnerships to accelerate growth. By the 1990s, the company had expanded internationally. At its peak, Mango operated thousands of stores in over 100 countries, becoming a major force in the global fashion industry.

Fast fashion is very successful because it makes trendy clothes affordable and available very quickly. Big brands can copy new styles from fashion shows and sell them in stores within a few weeks. Clothes are produced in large quantities at low cost, which allows companies to offer low prices. Many customers enjoy buying new outfits often, and social media encourages people to follow the latest trends. As a result, fast fashion companies make high profits and grow rapidly around the world.

However, fast fashion also has serious ethical problems. Many clothes are produced in factories where workers receive very low wages and sometimes work in unsafe conditions. In addition, the industry causes environmental damage. Large amounts of water are used to produce cotton, chemicals pollute rivers, and millions of clothes are thrown away every year. Because the clothes are cheap, people often wear them only a few times before discarding them. This creates a “throw-away culture” that harms the planet.

Andic’s leadership style was strategic yet discreet. He avoided public confrontation and focused on long-term investments, retail expansion, and corporate stability. He also held a significant stake in Banco Sabadell and served on advisory boards, strengthening his influence in Spain’s corporate world. By 2011, he was ranked among the wealthiest individuals globally, and at the time of his death, he was considered the richest person in Catalonia.

However, Mango’s growth was not without controversy. The company faced criticism regarding labor conditions in supplier factories, sustainability concerns, and supply chain transparency — issues common in the fast-fashion industry.

In 2024, Andic’s sudden and suspicious death shocked the business community. Authorities described the circumstances as inconsistent with natural causes. Although no formal suspect was named, media reports suggested possible internal tensions, succession disputes, and corporate restructuring conflicts within the company. Security footage was reportedly incomplete, and financial negotiations were ongoing at the time.

His complex relationship with his son — who had gradually assumed leadership responsibilities — raised further speculation about generational disagreements and strategic direction. While no charges were filed, investigators continued examining whether corporate rivalry or family conflict contributed to the tragedy.

Isak Andic’s life reflects broader themes of immigration, entrepreneurship, globalization, and power. His journey from immigrant street vendor to global fashion magnate demonstrates how ambition and branding can transform modest beginnings into multinational success. Yet his story also reveals the pressures, rivalries, and contradictions that often exist within global corporate empires.

2. Vocabulary Match

Part 1

  1. entrepreneur — f. business competition between companies

  2. franchise — c. person who starts and runs a business

  3. expansion — h. official permission to operate under a brand

  4. succession — a. process of growth or increase

  5. rivalry — g. transfer of leadership to the next generation

  6. sustainability — b. openness and clarity in operations

  7. transparency— e. ability to maintain long-term environmental balance

  8. legacy — j. public questioning without confirmed proof

  9. speculation — i. long-lasting impact left behind

Part 2

  1. branding — h. process of delivering products to stores

  2. distribution — a. creating a strong company identity

  3. multinational — g. ownership share in a company

  4. modest— e. group providing strategic guidance

  5. stake— b. operating in many countries

  6. advisory board — f. limited or small in amount

3. Synonym Match

  1. entrepreneur — C. growth

  2. rivalry — H. clarity

  3. expansion — F. founder

  4. transparency — A. competition

  5. speculation — I. global

  6. modest — B. dispute

  7. multinational — J. doubt

  8. controversy — D. humble

4. Scenario:
You are Mango executives responding to media coverage after the founder’s sudden death.

Tasks:

  • Prepare a 2-minute public statement.

  • Address the company’s future.

  • Reassure investors and employees.

  • Use formal, diplomatic language.

5. Role-Play – “Inside the Fashion Industry”

Roles:

A. Factory Worker
B. Company Manager
C. Environmental Activist
D. Teen Consumer

Task:
Each person explains how fast fashion affects them.

Afterwards, discuss:

  • Who benefits the most?

  • Who suffers the most?

  • Can the system change?


6. The Death Inquiry
Student A :  A journalist trying to find answers about what happened
Student B: The spokesperson who must defend the image of Mango
Student C:  You are Mango´s competitor 
Student D: You are the son

7. Speaking Practice Activities

A. Role Play 1 – The Strategic Meeting

Scenario:
You are members of Mango’s executive board in 1994. The company has 100 stores in Spain and is considering international expansion.

Discuss:

  • What should be the top 3 countries that  Mango enters first?

  • What are the financial risks?

  • How can you compete with Inditex? 

B. Business Interview

Student A: Journalist
Student B: Isak Andic

Questions:

  • Why did you start Mango?

  • How is Mango different from Zara?

  • What is your leadership style?

  • What advice do you give young entrepreneurs?

C.  You are hosting a group of investors and must convince them to invest in one of these top Spanish companies. What is your selling pitch for each ?

  1. Inditex

  2. Banco Santander

  3. Iberdrola

  4. BBVA

  5. Telefónica

  6. Repsol

  7. ACS Group

  8. Ferrovial

D. Critical Thinking Discussion

  1. Can wealth and legacy influence how society remembers a person?

  2. How should media handle investigations involving powerful families?

  3. Is rivalry essential for innovation in business?

8. Fill in the blanks:

1. When Isak died, his children would have               his wealth. 
2. His son would be the                       . 
3. His daughter would be the                    . 
4. If he became very successful in a short amount of time, then he was an                 success. 
5. If he became wealthy and successful not because his parents gave him the money, but through his own hard work, then he was                     .
6. If he was able to make a lot of money through his business, then his business was very                      . 
7. If the circumstances of his death were very suspicious, then we can also say that it was very              . 
8. If his children are very arrogant and they are always accustomed to getting whatever they want, then      they are very                   . 
9. If the products in Mango are high quality and the price is low, then the products are a                .
10. If you pay a lot of money and the quality is not good, then it is                   .
11. When companies decide to open factories in Bangladesh, Pakistan and other countries where workers are overworked and underpaid, those places are called                    .
12.  Some critics are saying that the brand  Maija will be the new competitor to Zara and Mango. It is growing quickly and has a very great potential. 
It is considered an                                   company.
13. Fiorucci is an Italian clothing brand that was huge in the 70´s that now is no longer as popular. It is considered to be a                    .
14. However, some critics are predicting that they are in the process of becoming popular and dominant again, at least in the Italian market. This means that they are making a                   .
15. If you have a friend who is addicted to shopping, she is a                   .
16.She is so addicted that she shops one day yes and one day no. This means that she goes shopping 
                              .
17. However, if you very rarely go shopping , only on very special occasions, then you go shopping 
                                                               .


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