Christel DeHaan ( Stark, October 20, 1942 – June 6, 2020) was a German-American
businesswoman
A businessperson, businessman, or businesswoman is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial or industrial) for the ...
and
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
who was the owner of
Resort Condominiums International
RCI (formerly Group RCI and, before that, Resort Condominiums International) is a timeshare exchange company with over 4,300 affiliated resorts in 100 countries.
Founded in Indiana in 1974 by Jon and Christel DeHaan, RCI is one of the two main t ...
and the founder of
Christel House International
Christel DeHaan ( Stark, October 20, 1942 – June 6, 2020) was a German-American businesswoman and philanthropist who was the owner of Resort Condominiums International and the founder of Christel House International.
Early life
DeHaan was bo ...
.
Early life
DeHaan was born in 1942 in
Nördlingen
Nördlingen (; Swabian: ''Nearle'' or ''Nearleng'') is a town in the Donau-Ries district, in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, with a population of approximately 20,674. It is located approximately east of Stuttgart, and northwest of Munich. It was bui ...
, Germany,
the daughter of Adolf Stark, a German soldier who died shortly before the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, and his wife Anna Stark.
Her stepfather, Wilhelm Riedel died when she was 16.
At the age of 16, she moved to the United Kingdom to become a
nanny
A nanny is a person who provides child care. Typically, this care is given within the children's family setting. Throughout history, nannies were usually servants in large households and reported directly to the lady of the house. Today, modern ...
.
Aged 20, she emigrated to the United States, settling in
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
.
Career
In 1974, DeHaan co-founded the pioneering timeshare company
Resort Condominiums International
RCI (formerly Group RCI and, before that, Resort Condominiums International) is a timeshare exchange company with over 4,300 affiliated resorts in 100 countries.
Founded in Indiana in 1974 by Jon and Christel DeHaan, RCI is one of the two main t ...
, with her then-husband Jon DeHaan. In 1979, he had a heart attack, and she took over the running of the company. In 1987, they divorced; she was awarded half the company and bought the rest for $67.5 million.
In 1995, she sold RCI for $825 million.
Philanthropy
DeHaan founded and donated $220 million to the
Christel House International
Christel DeHaan ( Stark, October 20, 1942 – June 6, 2020) was a German-American businesswoman and philanthropist who was the owner of Resort Condominiums International and the founder of Christel House International.
Early life
DeHaan was bo ...
.
Personal life
In 1972, she married Jon DeHaan (b. 1940).
She had three children and lived in
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
, Indiana, US.
She died on June 6, 2020, at her home.
References
1942 births
2020 deaths
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American businesswomen
20th-century German businesspeople
21st-century American businesspeople
21st-century American businesswomen
21st-century German businesspeople
American billionaires
American women philanthropists
Businesspeople from Indianapolis
Female billionaires
German billionaires
West German emigrants
Immigrants to the United States
German philanthropists
German women philanthropists
People from Nördlingen
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