Pierre Wertheimer

Pierre Wertheimer (January 8, 1888 – April 24, 1965) was a French businessman.

In October 1910, Pierre Wertheimer married Germaine Revel, a daughter of a stockbroker and a member of the Lazard family of investment bankers.

In 1924, Pierre Wertheimer and his brother Paul became Coco Chanel's partners in the House of Chanel perfume business. Two years before, in 1922, the Chanel No. 5 perfume had been introduced and Ms Chanel needed the Wertheimers' extensive experience in commerce, their American business connections, and their capital to fully develop and market the product. During their partnership, Wertheimer owned 70% of the Chanel perfume company. Chanel owned 10% and Chanel's friend, Théophile Bader, owned the remaining 20%.

Thoroughbred horse racing

Pierre Wertheimer was also a leading racehorse owner. In 1949 he hired the then 24-year-old Alec Head to train his horses. The Werheimer/Head association in racing still continues through family members (Fredy Head is trainer of Goldikova, a 3 times breeder cup winner mile turf, and remains in training for 2011 for an appetent 4th consecutive win in this classic race). Wertheimer's horses won numerous important races in France and the United Kingdom. Among the notable horses he owned was Epinard, called a racing legend [1] by the French racing authority, France Galop.

Selected Group One race wins:

• 1,000 Guineas : (1935)
• King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes : (1955)
• Epsom Derby : Lavandin (1956)
• Prix de la Forêt : Epinard (1922), Midget (1956)
• Prix d'Astarté : Eleda (1934), Djanet (1956)
• Prix Maurice de Gheest : Sonny Boy (1933), Djanet (1956), Midget (1957), Tomahawk (1959)

After his death, his widow remained as an owner of prominent horses such as Riverman and Lyphard. Germaine Wertheimer's Group One race wins include:

• Prix de la Forêt : Démocratie (1969), Lyphard (1972)
• Prix du Jockey Club : Roi Lear (1973)
• Poule d'Essai des Poulains : Riverman (1972)
• Prix d'Ispahan : Riverman (1972)
• Prix Jacques Le Marois : Lyphard (1972)

The racing stable and the House of Chanel was inherited by his son Jacques Wertheimer who continued to be a force in French racing and who expanded the House of Chanel even further. On Jacques' death, the business went to his sons, Gerard and Alain Wertheimer.

Sources

• Women's History from about.com
• Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People 2004