The Van der Vorms, one of the richest families in the Netherlands and maybe the world, responsible for some of the world’s biggest cruise ships have received the sum of $4 billion this year from selling an eyewear retailer to EssilorLuxottica a famed Eye Wear luxury brand.
The family known to keep their private life private by turning down events that foster publicity and always refer questions asked to their website, a culture attributed to Northern Irish folks who don’t like to be known by their wealth have recently come under the radar as many want to know what will happen to the funds.
The Van der Vorms originally into the boat cruise business, the Holland American Line which was saved from Bankruptcy by Willem Van der Vorm during the Great Depression and as a result bacame part of the family’s holdings had its headquarters relocated to Seattle and is largely responsible for the accumulation of the family’s fortune.
The Van der Vorms also are active real estate acquirers with an estimated over 24 properties in the area with a history of making big bets and sticking to their investments for a very long time. The investments have proved very lucrative over time.
The big question now is what are the Van der Vorms going to divest the $4 billion that is currently in Hal Trust into, also controlled by the family. The options according to Thijs Berkelder, an ABN Amro Bank NV analyst include buying back their shares from shareholders, close the fund, become philanthropists.
The family as a whole is collectively worth $11.2 billion based on the recent filings by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
