Lawrence Stroll is related to financial success, meeting the jet-set and circuits of formula 1. The canadian businessman has a fortune estimated at 2,600 million dollars (2,300 million euros), obtained thanks to sensible investments in the world of fashion. In December, some specialized media published his name, but on this occasion, stating that plans for a new adventure: to acquire Aston Martin.

Stroll possesses luxurious residences in Montreal, London, New York and Mustique (the exclusive caribbean island); also in Geneva, the city where she lives since several years ago. Organize parties with famous friends (Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sarah Ferguson), sail on a yacht and flying in a jet or helicopter (all their property). And is a lover of cars, but cars that are not within the reach of anyone. Aston Martin plays in these leagues, while the aim of Stroll you on this occasion is to generate a profit and not only to satisfy their expensive tastes.

Coach, one of the first media to publish the news (that Stroll and Aston Martin have not denied), noted that the canadian heads a group of investors seeking to take control of the automaker, considering its low current value and relying on the sales of the DBX (your first off-road). The firm made its entry into the Stock exchange in london in October 2018, with a market capitalization of approximately 4,300 million pounds (5.050 million euros), a figure that has fallen to 1,400 million in recent days.

unlike the other houses, privately, the british has remained at the margin of the plans of merger, even though Daimler-Benz owns 5% of its capital. “The leaders of Aston Martin considered that independence protects the identity of the brand. However, the performance of the action has not disappointed. The brand invested in a new factory, and this brings uncertainty, as the Brexit. At the level of operations, we are not faced with the scenario easier. Remember that Aston Martin has already broken on several occasions,” says Yan Cimon, an expert on the motor industry of Laval University. The interest of Stroll by the firm that has been accompanying James Bond on the screen not only would respond to his passion for the motor, also would be aligned with their experience in re-launching companies.

Lawrence Strulovitch (his real surname) was born in Montreal in 1959 and began working in the family business at the age of 15. His father, Lyner Strulovitch, had a children's clothing store and owned the rights of sales in Canada of garments for women and children Polo Ralph Lauren and Pierre Cardin. In the eighties, Stroll marketed products Polo Ralph Lauren in Europe. However, the success at scale would come soon after, thanks to his work in tandem with Silas Chou, a businessman hongkonés. Stroll and Chou have created Sportswear Holdings, which in 1989 was made with the majority control of Tommy Hilfiger. Under his guidance, the brand became an international phenomenon. In 1992, Tommy Hilfiger came to the stock market. Apax Partners acquired the company in 2006, a change of about $ 1,600 million.

The duo of entrepreneurs bought in 2000 Asprey & Garrard, the iconic british brand of jewelry and leather items, by 100 million pounds. In 2003, after selling the parts at Asprey & Garrard, Sportswear Holdings acquired 52% of Michael Kors for about $ 100 million. The company was on the brink of the precipice, Stroll and Chou opted for the diversification of products (especially handbags and luxury items affordable), and the firm came to the Bag in 2011 and nearly quadrupled its value in 2013. That year, the entrepreneurs sold their last batch of stock (5.7% of participation by some 890 million dollars). Silas Chou, a member of a family well known in Asia in the textile sector, has said on several occasions that Stroll is the one who actually has the touch of “king Midas”.

Passion for motor sports

“When I use my cars, I exploit 100% of their performance. And if we are in a citation for running, taking risks. Don't think of it as a museum piece; nor did I pay attention to the value of what I'm driving at,” stated Stroll in 2011 to Ferrari Magazine, in one of his rare interviews. Among collectors, his name stands out greatly by the 25 cars of the signing of the prancing horse that has been acquired over the years. Also owns the circuit Mont-Tremblant, located 135 kilometers from Montreal. Stroll is the dealership of Ferrari in the province of Quebec.

In August of 2018, led a group of investors to purchase the team from Force India Formula 1 by $ 117 million (105 million euros). “It was a team in dire straits that needed just a new owner. Stroll was familiar with this kind of transactions”, points out Michel Marois, a journalist for the newspaper La Presse. One of the riders Racing Point, a name which took the team, is Lance Stroll (1998), son of a millionaire a canadian.

In the seasons 2017 and 2018, Lance Stroll ran for Williams. Since the announcement of his arrival to the top tier, various feathers of the motor world commented that it was a case more of a pay driver, as credited in the pilot that gets a boost significant economic to ride in a race car, although some gave the benefit of the doubt to the young by their results in other divisions. However, research published by the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, under the headline The seat of formula 1 the most expensive of all time, showed that Lawrence Stroll had paid 80 million dollars to his son to run into Williams. The sum included support material and human, from his years in karting and in the European Championship of Formula 3 until their period of training in the team british.

“At first glance, to associate to Stroll with Aston Martin may seem strange, since the world of fashion and the production car are very different. However, it is necessary to take into account different elements. Surely there will be within the consortium that is leading people with experience in the sector.

Stroll made his fortune by re-launching brands of the world; he knows very well the financial aspects, the management on the Stock exchange. It is an interesting convergence,” says Cimon. “Your relationship with the formula 1 is a complement: the aura of speed, this exclusive world. And Aston Martin wants to continue as a mark of great luxury, where the style of living matter”, he adds. A day after the media collect the interest in the signature british group led by Stroll, the action of Aston Martin went up by 17%.