Esther Koplowitz, consort marquise of Cubas
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Doña Esther Koplowitz, Marchioness of Cubas (b. 1950) is a billionaire from Spain. She is the wealthiest woman in the country. She is the main shareholder of the construction conglomerate Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas (FCC). The company has annual revenues of around seven to twelve billion euros.
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[edit] Early life
She is the daughter of Ernesto Koplowitz and Esther Romero de Juseu y Armenteros. Her sister Alicia was born in 1952. Esther went to French lycée in Madrid and later studied philosophy.
Her father Ernest Koplowitz was the founder of the family business empire. He originally came from Silesia, currently part of Poland, then part of Germany, and had to flee during World War II because he was Jewish. His Spanish was not so good, that is why he used his native German to represent various German companies, such as AEG.
His daughter Esther was originally not interested in business. Esther married Alberto Alcocer in 1969 and Alicia his cousin Alberto Cortina six months later. "The Albertos" made the firm grow spectacularly from 1973.
[edit] Marriages and business
Both marriages broke by the beginning of the 1990s after Alberto Cortina and Marta Chávarri (wife of Fernando Falcó, marqués de Cubas) were photographed together in Vienna in 1989[1]. After she bought her sister Alicia Koplowitz's share of 28% of FCC, she got engaged in the business. On the Forbes list of millionaires, her wealth is estimated at 2.5 billion euros. In Spain she is very well-known, especially through widespread media coverage. Since 2003 she has been married to Fernando Falcó. Her three children Esther, Alicia and Carmen are from a previous marriage to Alberto Alcocer.
Esther Koplowitz is at present Founder and Chairwoman of the Foundation which bears her name, board member and principal shareholder of Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas (FCC) and Vice-President and board member of Portland Valderrivas Cement. FCC is one of the world’s leading diversified groups with companies involved in construction, services, cement, real estate and a variety of other activities.
The Esther Koplowitz Foundation, endowed in its entirety by its chairwoman, aims to provide assistance to the elderly, disabled and helpless and to minors and other persons facing problems of social integration or at risk of social exclusion due to physical, social or cultural reasons.
Among the foundation’s charitable projects, the construction and fitting out of two residences for elderly persons of limited means stands out. One in Collado Villalba (Madrid) provides 140 beds for residents and 40 more in a daytime centre while another in Barcelona makes available 137 beds for residents and 30 in a daytime centre. The foundation has also built and equipped a residence for persons with major psychic and physical disability in the city of Valencia with 40 beds for residents and 30 in a daytime centre.
At present, the Esther Koplowitz Foundation is in the process of creating a centre to provide internships for hundreds of students of limited means and has recently donated a centre for biomedical investigation to the Foundation of the Clinic of Barcelona.
In recognition of her personal commitment to philanthropic causes, the Council of Ministers agreed in July, 2001 to grant the Great Cross of the Order of Civil Merit to Esther Koplowitz for her promotion of social works. She has also received other decorations for her social work including the Golden Medal of the Royal Academy of History, the Silver Cross of the Order of the Merit of the Guardia Civil, the Shield of the City of Barcelona and the title of adopted child of the city of Valencia.
[edit] Titles
Esther and Alicia inherited their noble titles from her mother. Esther was the Condesa de Peñalver and Marquesa de Campo Florido, titles now owned by her two daughters Carmen Alcocer y Koplowitz (now countess of Peñalver[2]) and Alicia Alcocer y Koplowitz (now marquise of Campo Florido[3]). Her sister Alicia is the Marquesa de Bellavista. Esther Koplowitz is married to Fernando Falcó, Marquis of Cubas and holds the noble titles of consort Marquise of Cubas.
[edit] References
- ^ La Voz de Asturias, 19 June 2003: Koplowitz se casa con Fernando Falcó.
- ^ Resolución de la Subsecretaría (Gabinete Técnico) sobre solicitud de sucesión por distribución en el título de Conde de Peñalver
- ^ Resolución de la Subsecretaría (Gabinete Técnico) sobre solicitud de sucesión por distribución en el título de Marqués de Campo Florido
