Early Life
Alicia Koplowitz y Romero de Juseu was born in Madrid, Spain, on September 12, 1954. She is the second and youngest daughter of Ernesto Koplowitz Sternberg, a Jewish businessman from Upper Silesia who settled in Spain, and Esther Romero de Juseu y Armenteros, a Spanish aristocrat. Her father died in 1962, and her mother died in 1968. She attended the Lycée Français and the University Complutense of Madrid.
Rise to Success
After her father's death, Alicia and her sister Esther inherited a stake in Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas, S.A. (CYCSA). The sisters ran the company jointly from 1989 to 1997. In 1998, she sold her 28.26% stake in FCC to her sister for 871 million euros. Following the sale, she diversified her investments, primarily through her family office, Omega Capital, which she founded in 1998. Omega Capital invests in listed equities, private equity, real estate, hedge funds, and strategic minority holdings. She has invested in companies like Acerinox, Iberdrola, and Banco Sabadell, as well as hotels and real estate.
Key Business Strategies
Koplowitz's key business strategy has been diversification. She invested the proceeds from the sale of her FCC stake into a variety of assets, including private equity, blue-chip companies, oil, and real estate. This strategy helped her wealth grow significantly, allowing her to quadruple her initial investment.
Philanthropy
Alicia Koplowitz is also known for her philanthropic work. In 1994, she created the Fundación Vida y Esperanza, which aids children, adolescents, and young adults facing social and financial challenges. In 2003, she founded Fundación Alicia Koplowitz, which focuses on promoting training and research in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, supporting Spanish fellows in this field. She has received numerous awards for her philanthropy, including the Gran Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Civil. The Alicia Koplowitz Foundation has a long-standing commitment to promoting the mental health of children and adolescents in Spain.