Alicia Koplowitz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alicia Koplowitz
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Alicia Koplowitz in 2018
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Alicia Koplowitz y Romero de Juseu
12 September 1954 Madrid, Spain
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| Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Spouse(s) | Alberto Cortina (1969-1990, divorced) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Ernesto Koplowitz Esther Romero de Juseu y Armenteros |
| Relatives | Esther Koplowitz (sister) |
Alicia Koplowitz (born on September 12, 1954) is a very successful Spanish businesswoman. She is known for being a billionaire and for her smart investments. For a time, she held a noble title, Marchioness of Bellavista.
Alicia and her sister inherited a large construction company called Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas (FCC) from their father. Later, Alicia sold her share of the company to her sister. She then started her own investment company, Omega Capital, which became one of the biggest family-owned investment firms in Europe.
Early Life
Alicia Koplowitz was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1954. She is the younger daughter of Ernesto Koplowitz and Esther Romero de Juseu y Armenteros. Her father was a Jewish businessman from Poland who moved to Spain to escape danger in the 1930s. Her mother was from a Spanish noble family.
Alicia's parents married in 1950. Her father first worked for an electronics company. In 1952, he bought a construction company and renamed it Construcciones y Contratas S. A. (CYCSA). This company grew a lot during Spain's building boom in the early 1960s.
Alicia went to the Lycée Français and later studied at the University Complutense of Madrid.
Building a Business Empire
In 1962, Alicia's father passed away. Her mother asked a family friend, Ramón Areces, to manage the company, CYCSA, for her and her daughters. Sadly, Alicia's mother died of cancer in 1968.
In 1969, Alicia married Alberto Cortina. Her sister Esther had married Alberto's cousin, Alberto Alcocer, six months earlier. The sisters gave up their places on the company board to their husbands. The two "Albertos" helped the company grow even more. They bought real estate, a bank, and shares in another construction company.
In 1990, Alicia and Alberto Cortina divorced. After the divorce, Alicia and her sister Esther returned to the board of CYCSA. Their former husbands received ownership of the bank as part of the agreement.
In 1992, CYCSA merged with another company to form Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas (FCC). This became the largest construction company in Spain. In 1998, Alicia sold her share of FCC to her sister Esther for a large sum of money. At that time, FCC was the biggest construction and services company in Spain.
Since then, Alicia Koplowitz has made many different investments. She invests in private equity, which means buying shares in private companies. She also invests in well-known companies on the stock market, in oil, and in real estate. Her real estate investments include famous hotels and office buildings in the United States. She is advised by Oscar Fanjul, a former chairman of a big oil company.
In 1998, Alicia started her own investment company called Omega Capital. This company is fully owned by her. Omega Capital began investing in special investment funds in 1999.
Helping Others
Alicia Koplowitz has created two foundations to help people. One is called Fundación Vida y Esperanza (Life and Hope Foundation), started in 1994. This foundation helps children, teenagers, and young adults who are facing social, family, or money problems. It provides them with housing, education, and job support. The foundation also helps the elderly and people with special needs.
Her other charity, Fundación Alicia Koplowitz, supports research in child psychiatry. It sends Spanish researchers to study in England and the U.S. at top universities. These fellowships cover their research, housing, and salary for several years. The foundation also helps them find jobs when they return to Spain. It organizes a big conference in Spain every year where top scientists discuss child and adolescent psychiatry. Because of her efforts, Spain now recognizes child and adolescent psychiatry as a special medical field.
In 2004, Koplowitz also helped build and donated a large hospital in Spain. This hospital specializes in treating multiple sclerosis, a serious illness.
Alicia Koplowitz has received many awards for her work. These include the Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit and the French Legion of Honour. She also received the Gold Medal from the Spanish State and the Red Cross.
She is a member of the boards of several important organizations. These include Christie's Auction House, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Prado Museum. She is also on the board of trustees for University Charles III of Spain.
Alicia Koplowitz owns one of the most important art collections in Europe. It is the largest in Spain. Her collection includes famous works by artists like Goya, Picasso, Modigliani, Van Gogh, and de Kooning.
Personal Life
Alicia Koplowitz has three sons with her former husband, Alberto Cortina:
- Alberto Cortina (born 1971) studied law. He has worked at Omega Capital and holds a noble title.
- Pedro Cortina (born 1972) worked in hotels. He founded and runs his own hotel company called Hospes.
- Pelayo Cortina (born 1985) studied engineering and management. He has worked for several big companies and is on the board of directors for others. He also holds a noble title.
Alicia Koplowitz was raised Catholic.
See also
In Spanish: Alicia Koplowitz para niños
