Abraham Levy was born in 1886 and died in 1991. According to pictures found in the National Archives in Mexico City CONACULTA AND LA BIBLIOTECA NACIONAL DE MEXICO (see photos with captions written in Spanish to the left), Levy was the co-owner of Levi Strauss along with his second cousin Jacob Strauss after Levy Strauss passed away. He also was the top landowner from the 1940's to the 1980's.

Business

Abraham Levy was considered one of the top five richest men in the world from the 1940's to the 1980's. He was well known
through Latin America as an agricultural entrepreneur for he owned a wide range of land from Argentina to Mexico, making
him the largest individual landowner during his era. He used the land to grow cotton for Levi Strauss. According to a
report in 1959 appearing in the Excelsior newspaper in Mexico City, Levy was not a social person but was frequently
seen with charismatic and flamboyant individuals like the great painter Salvador Dali. Dali visited Levy on many
occasions at Levy's ranch in Mexico City. In the 1950's, the same publication reported that Aristotle Onassis met
with Levy to convince him to purchase ships from Russia and join ventures with Onassis. Reports stated that Levy did not
trust Onassis enough to go into business with him; despite his friendship with Onassis, Levy did not think it would
be a good deal.

Personal

Although the charismatic and not too social Levy associated with many elite individuals, he maintained a closer relationship with his five dogs and his gardner. For twenty-five years, Levy built and maintained a personal relationship with his gardner, who served not only as Levy's gardner, but as his confidante and dog trainer. Levy possessed a flamboyant side himself when it came to his dogs. Before Levy passed away, he stipulated in his will that upon his death his five beloved dogs, who were at least thirteen years old, be put to sleep and buried with him.

Family

Levy married Natasha Barough, an immigrant from Poland, who later changed her name to Ana Marie Barough. They had one child named Margaret Levy-Barough. Abraham Levy's grandchildren are: Raul Julia-Levy, actor and producer; Jose Martin Levy, prominent attorney in Mexico City; Elizabeth Levy, a stockholder in Mexico City.

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External links

Consejo Nacional Para La Cultura y Las Artes

Conaculta

Archivo Historico de la Ciudad de Mexico Siglo XXI

Archivo General de la Nacion

Archivo Historico de la Republica Mexicana

Biblioteca Nacional de Mexico D.F.

http://www.rauljuliaofficial.com/