Bram van Leeuwen

Abraham van Leeuwen, also known as Prince of Lignac (* Rotterdam, 18 July 1918 - † Málaga, 27 May 2001) was a Dutch buainessman and high-profile millionaire.

Poor start

Van Leeuwen grew up in Rotterdam under poverish circumstances. The humiliation that he and only just one other kid had to borrow his schoolbooks made a big impression on him. This memory was one of the reasons Van Leeuwen promised himself to become rich and succesfull in life. He founded NTI: Nederlands Talen Instituur, one of the first language training ceompanies. Just before and during World War II Van Leeuwen wrote an English training course - which was in great demand at that time. To receive permission from the German occupiers to start his company he was forced to develop a German course as well. He also founded Lecturama, a Dutch publisher specialized in collecting and (re)publishing special series and popular books and doing so making these publications obtainable for the mass market.. After the war Van Leeuwen continued starting companies. Van Leeuwen sold his companies on the best time. The NTI and Lekturama were sold to the Dutch Vendex concern in the 1970's for 450 mln. Dutch guilders and made him his huge fortune.

Jetset

Van Leeuwen was seen as an exentric member of the jetset, living on board of his mega-ship New Horizon L built by Feadship/Royal van Lent shipyard. He received many guests on board of this 60 neter long ship, where even the air-outlets are said to be solid gold. Rumours say Van Leeuwen bought he totle Prince de Lignac but he always denied this and claimed he received it from an earl he met during the war. According again to Van Leeuwen his title was acknowledged by the Sao Paulo Aristocracy Court in 1966

Lifestyle

Van Leeuwen wasn't only well known because of his luxery yacht and the parties on it. The fact that he was open about his homosexuality and his preference for (young) Asian boys and men, that surrounded him and his partner Hans Verver as servants on his yacht, created a lot of extra attention from the gossip-magazines. Homosexuality was a great taboo in the post WWII years: both in private life and even more in business, which was very homophobic. This strengthened Van Leeuwens whish to be succesfull. Van Leeuwen was (and is) one of the very few Dutch Captains of Industry open about his sexual identity.

Death

Van Leeuwen died on his yacht at the age of 82 years. In his will Van Leeuwen left a small part of his fortune to his long-tern partner Verver (Euro 35 mln + the yacht). The majority (Euro 100 mln) was left to the Stichting Van Leeuwen Van Lignac This foundation aims to help the fysical and mental health of the people of Rotterdam, focussing on the elderly and/or lonely people and young children and orphans.