Enrique Bernat Fontlladonosa; 20 October 1923 – 27 December 2003) was a Spanish scientist and businessman, and the founder of the
Chupa Chupslollipop company.[1]
Life
Bernat was the child of a
confectioner Catalan family in the third generation and started his working life in his parents' cake shop.[2] In the early 1950s he went to north Spain to revive an apple
jam factory.[2] As he introduced later his idea of lollipops to the investors, they left. Bernat took over the company in 1958 and renamed it
Chupa Chups.[3] In 1969
Salvador Dalí was paid a fortune[clarification needed] to do the logo.[4][5]
In the 1980s, Bernat failed a take-over of the insurance company
Iberia de Seguros to fund a new
Catalaninvestment bank.[2] Despite the loss, he gained ownership of
Gaudi's
Casa Batlló.[2] In 1991, he passed formal control of Chupa Chups to his son Xavier.[2] The
Smint subsidiary brand/company was founded in 1994.[6]
Together with his wife Núria Serra he had three sons and two daughters, all surviving him.[2]
Bernat died aged 80 at home in
Barcelona on 27 December 2003, from an illness.[7][8] A hundred people attended his funeral in
Les Corts.[9]