The son of the founder of fashion giant Mango has denied allegations that he murdered his billionaire father after the tycoon plunged 500 feet to his death while they were hiking together in Spain. Jonathan Andic, 45, was arrested in Barcelona as part of a reopened investigation into the fatal fall near the Catalan city in 2024.
Jonathan also announced he was stepping down as Mango's vice president to focus on his legal defence, describing the accusation against him as 'serious, unjust and unfounded' in an open letter to staff. 'A public narrative has been constructed that is one-sided, taken out of context and distorted, and which has created a perception of guilt that bears no relation to reality,' he wrote. 'I know that dismantling it will require time, effort and intense dedication.'
A Spanish court last week named Andic as a suspect in the death of his father after a judge said there was sufficient evidence to suggest the fall may not have been accidental. Jonathan was named executive vice president of Mango's holding company in January 2025, around six weeks after his father's death.
Tycoon Isak Andic, 71, died after plunging more than 100 metres from a cliff while hiking with his son in the mountains outside Barcelona in December 2024. Shortly after his arrest, Jonathan's family issued a statement which said: 'Jonathan Andic is currently testifying as part of the proceedings regarding the accident of December 14, 2024. At this time we cannot add much more because the case is under judicial secrecy. The collaboration has been and will continue to be maximum within the framework of these proceedings.'
Jonathan was photographed last week being escorted into a court in Martorell by at least three officers with his head bowed. He later paid one million euros in bail following his arrest. He was ordered to surrender his passport, appear weekly before the court, and was banned from leaving the country, the court said in a statement, adding that the case was being 'investigated as a charge of homicide'.
On Thursday, further details from the court order claimed Jonathan had an 'obsession' with money and may have played a 'premeditated' role in the death of his fashion mogul father. In the judge's writ seen by Reuters, Judge Raquel Nieto Galvan said there was 'sufficient evidence to suggest that the death of (Isak Andic) may not have been accidental, and that (Jonathan Andic) played an active and premeditated role in his father's death'. Judges in Spain typically investigate cases to decide whether there are sufficient grounds to go to trial. The writ is part of Nieto Galvan's pre-trial investigation, and Jonathan Andic has not been charged.
The root of their bad relationship was Jonathan Andic's 'obsession with money to the extent that he asked his father (Isak Andic) for an inheritance while he was still alive', Nieto Galvan wrote. In WhatsApp messages, Jonathan Andic expressed 'feelings of hatred, resentment and thoughts of death, and blaming his father for his situation'. Jonathan Andic wanted to either find a way to receive the inheritance while his father was still alive, 'or for the figure of the father to cease to exist, either in his thoughts or in reality', the writ said.
Turkish immigrant Mr Andic and his son were visiting the Collbato Caves in the heart of the magical Monserrat mountain near the Catalan capital when the Mango owner died. Respected Spanish newspaper El Pais reported in October last year that police were probing Mr Andic's death as a possible homicide, and Jonathan had been formally placed under investigation by the courts after previously being treated as a witness. Several other Spanish media outlets carried the same claims in follow-up reports.
Contradictions in Mr Andic's son's two statements and the 'complex' relationship between the entrepreneur and Jonathan were said to have been behind the judge's reported decision, which Jonathan's representatives later disputed, to place him under formal investigation. It has previously been claimed the 45-year-old told officers he had left his car in one place and it was in another, or that he hadn't taken photos of the area when he had.
An Andic family spokesman said at the time: 'The Andic family has not made any comments over the past few months regarding the death of Isak Andic, nor will it do so in the future. However, it wishes to show its respect for the proceedings that have been carried out in this regard and will continue to cooperate with the competent authorities as it has done until now. It is also confident that this process will be concluded as soon as possible and that Jonathan Andic's innocence will be proven.'
A secrecy order imposed on the case by the investigating judge, a tool commonly used in Spain to protect judicial probes, especially in their infancy, has limited the amount of information civil servants can disclose. Mr Andic, also the father of two daughters, Judith and Sarah, founded Mango along with his brother Nahman in 1984. By March 2024, more than 14,000 employees worked for the company in more than 2,700 stores operating in over 110 countries, with 45 stores in the UK. It went on to announce it was teaming up with Victoria Beckham to launch a new capsule collection to mark its 40th anniversary.
Forbes had estimated Mr Andic's net worth shortly before his death at $4.5 billion, making him Catalonia's richest man and one of Spain's wealthiest people. Catalan president Salvador Illa said on X after learning about Mr Andic's death: 'Devastated by the loss of Isak Andic, a committed businessman who, with his leadership, has contributed to making Catalonia great and projecting it to the world. He leaves an indelible mark on the Catalan and global fashion sector. My condolences and those of the entire Government to the family, friends, and the Mango team.'
El Pais reported last year: 'To date, investigators have found no direct, let alone definitive, evidence that would allow them to conclude exactly what happened that morning in Montserrat. However, over the months, they have come across a series of clues which, taken together, have led them to dismiss the idea of a mere accident and consider the possibility that it was a homicide. The statements made by two witnesses were key to this change of direction. One is Jonathan Andic, one of the businessman's three children, the only son and the only one who was with him at the time of the incident. His explanations have been inconsistent and have fuelled suspicion. Not only was his first statement, given under the strong emotional impact of the event, erratic. His second statement, made some time later, when he was calmer, was also erratic. The witness contradicted himself in any case, left gaps in his account, and described events that were inconsistent with the results of the on-site inspection carried out by the police on the mountain of Montserrat. The second relevant testimony in the case was that of Estefania Knuth, a professional golfer and the businessman's partner in the last years of his life. According to sources close to the investigation, Knuth emphasised the poor relationship between father and son.'
