What employee hasn’t dreamed of one day being the owner of their own company? And not to mention that his own business makes him multimillionaire. This, which could only be considered possible in the script of a movie or series, has happened to a lucky few in real life.
One of those people “touched by the magic wand” was the French Michel Leclercqwho When he was young he ran a simple butcher shop, but today he is one of the top billionaires in his country. thanks to sporting goods.
How Michel Leclercq made his fortune
In 1961, Gérard Mulliez inaugurated the first Auchan store in Roubaix, marking the beginning of a notable business history. Your cousin Michel Leclercq, 22 years old at the time, joined the team as a butcher, despite his family’s initial disapproval of his career choice. In 1962, he abandoned his engineering studies to devote himself full-time to Auchan, where he eventually took on responsibilities in recruitment and technology for the group’s 5,000 employees.
In 1975, Auchan proposed a new project to Leclercq, but He chose to start his own company. Inspired by a trip to the United States, he decided to launch Decathlon, a company dedicated to family sports.
On July 27, 1976, Decathlon opened its doors for the first time in Englos, near Lille, within the Auchan commercial area. The store offered a wide range of sporting goods for all levels of athletes, from amateur to professional, under one roof.
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From a butcher to having the most important sporting goods chain in the world.
Simone Nelson
The first six employees were hired at a gym, where Leclercq posted job ads. However, the start was not easy, as sporting goods suppliers initially refused to supply decathlonsuspecting that he had the financial backing of the Mulliez family.
Despite initial challenges and uncertainty over the survival of the business, Decathlon gained a significant boost when Adidas began supplying products to the store after a complaint about refusal of sale. This paved the way for other brands to enter the establishment.
The real turning point for Decathlon came in 1986 with the launch of its own production subsidiary, ensuring the supply of own-brand products. Manufacturing expanded internationally in 1988 under the direction of the founder’s son, Olivier Leclercq, taking production to Asia.
Over time, Decathlon diversified its offering, entering a variety of sports and launching exclusive brands such as Tribord for water activities and Quechua for the mountains, followed later by Kalenji and Domyos.
International expansion was always part of Decathlon’s vision, with its first store outside France opening in Dortmund, Germany, in 1986. Since then, it has established a presence in markets such as the United Kingdom, Spain, the United States (although it subsequently left the country ), Turkey and China.
Today, Decathlon is a company owned by the founder and the Mulliez family, with investments in various companies such as Auchan, Kiabi or Pimkie. With a turnover of 8.2 billion euros in 2014, the French sports giant continues to expand and consolidate itself as a leader in its sector.
Michel Leclercq’s net worth in 2024
According to the specialized site ForbesLeclercq would have assets valued at approximately 5 trillion dollarswhich is why they place him among the top 600 millionaires in the world.
