Anders Holch Povlsen (born 4 November 1972) is a Danish billionaire who is the CEO and sole owner of the international clothes retailer chain Bestseller (which includes Vero Moda and Jack&Jones), a company founded by his parents, the largest shareholder in the British internet clothes retailer Asos.com, and second-largest in German internet clothes retailer Zalando. He is the largest individual private landowner in the UK.[2]
In 2018, Povlsen was the richest Daneaccording to Forbes.
Early life[edit]
Constantinsborg Estate in
Aarhus, Denmark
Anders Holch Povlsen was born in 1972 to Troels Holch Povlsen and Merete Bech Povlsen.[1] The family's first clothes store opened in 1975 in the small Danish town ofBrande, with a population of 7,000.[3] Other outlets soon followed. Anders was only 28 when his father made him the sole owner of Bestseller.[3] The family also has an interest, along with two Danish partners, in Bestseller Fashion Group China, a company that designs its own collections for 5,000 stores in China.
He is Bestseller's chief executive officer (CEO).[3] In 2013, Povlsen bought a 10% stake in the German internet clothes retailer Zalando, becoming the third largest shareholder. Povlsen already had a 27% stake in ASOS.com, the largest UK internet-only fashion retailer.[4]
In April 2019, Povlsen's net worth was estimated to be US$8.0 billion.[1]
Landowner[edit]
Scotland[edit]
In 2018/2019 it was reported that Povlsen owns 221,000 acres (890 km2; 345 sq mi) of land in Scotland, making him the largest landowner.[2][5] This has risen from a 2012 level of 120,000 acres (490 km2; 190 sq mi), when he had bought two further large estates, the 24,000-acre Ben Loyal, and 18,000-acre Kinloch Lodge, both in Sutherland, in addition to a 47,000-acre estate he bought in Inverness-shire in 2006 and a 3-acre estate near Fort William that he bought in 2008.[6]
In 2013, it was reported that Povlsen had bought the 20,000 acres (81 km2; 31 sq mi) Gaick Estate in Inverness-shire earlier that year, bringing his total to 150,000 acres (61,000 ha), second only to the Buccleuch Estates as Scotland's largest private landowner. In addition, Povlsen had bought land in the Borders specifically to trade it with the Forestry Commission, in return for 1,000 acres of woodland to add to his 43,000-acre Glenfeshie Estate, south of Aviemore. Povlsen bought Glenfeshie in 2006, and expanded it by buying the 4,000-acre neighbouring farm of Killiehuntly.[7]
In 2014, he bought Aldourie Castle on the banks of Loch Ness for £15 million.[8] He also bought the Eriboll estate in Sutherland.[9]
He plans to combine his adjoining estates and re-wild them.[10]
Denmark[edit]
In Denmark, Povlsen owns and resides at the old Constantinsborg Estate west of Aarhus, along with substantial farmland and forests.[11]
Romania[edit]
Povlsen has bought land in Romania's Carpathian Mountains to create a wilderness reserve for the surviving wolves, bears and lynx.[7]
Personal life[edit]
Povlsen is married to Anne Holch Povlsen (formerly Anne Storm-Pedersen[12]), and the couple have four children: Alma, Agnes, Astrid and Alfred.[13] Alma, Agnes, and Alfred were killed at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo during the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings[14], when the family was on holiday there.[15][16][17]
Povlsen lives at Constantinsborg near Aarhus, Denmark.[13]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anders_Holch_Povlsen
