A winding road cuts through a dense oil palm plantation, an echo of the Bracht family's agricultural era.
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The Bracht family: Discretion and a 72-million-euro inheritance

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Bracht family

The Bracht family line occupies a significant place in the heritage of the Belgian nobility, with assets valued at approximately 71,957,000 euros. Specifically linked to Société Internationale of Plantations and Finance (Sipef), this family has long held a leading role as principal shareholder of this colonial plantation company. It wasn't until 2013 that Baron Theo Bracht reoriented ownership, transferring all his shares to his daughters Priscilla, Theodora and Victoria.

Vibrant harvesting of oil palm fruit, a vestige of the Bracht family's agricultural footprint.

The family's historic home, Château Calesberg in SchotenIt is also of strategic importance as the headquarters of Sipef. The latter has grown into a conglomerate of operations agricultural amounting to more than 65,000 hectares. Currently, the Antwerp-based holding company Ackermans & van Haaren is the main shareholder with a stake of 26.8%.

The elegant orangery of Château Calesberg, cradle of the Bracht family's centuries-old heritage.
Château Calesberg: A symbol of the Bracht family's stature.

In 1978, the family was marked by a tragic event: Charles-Victor Bracht was kidnapped in an Antwerp garage by Marcel "Dexter" Van Tongelen, who demanded a ransom for his release. His body was found murdered on April 10, 1978, while negotiations for his release were underway. Two years later, in 1980, "Dexter" was sentenced to death by the Antwerp Assize Court, a sentence later commuted to life imprisonment. After thirteen years in prison, he was released and faded into the obscurity of public life. Since then, the Bracht family has preferred to stay out of the spotlight, with a fortune estimated at over 80 million euros .

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