Ernest Wertheimer (1852-1927) emigrated from Alsace to Paris in 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War. Ernest purchased an interest in the innovative theatrical make-up company, Bourjois. Later his sons Paul (1883–1948) & Pierre Wertheimer (1888–1965) joined their dad in the family business, Bourjois. In 1905, Pierre left for London and Paul moved to New York, making Bourjois an international enterprise. Their Rochester NY facility manufactured and distributed Helena Rubinstein’s line face creams.
![]()
![]()
Pierre (top) and Paul Wertheimer
Both brothers married in 1910, and both had babies. But the joy ended when the new fathers were mobilised in WW1. By the time the sons took over the company’s directorships, Bourjois became the largest cosmetic-fragrance company in France. In the next decade, Bourjois had already signed licences in 100+ countries – a huge success!
Pierre was also an avid horseman who began a great racing dynasty, important in the Wertheimer story because it was at Longchamp racetrack that Pierre Wertheimer met Coco Chanel. They were introduced by Théophile Bader, founder of Galeries Lafayette.
Both brothers married in 1910, and both had babies. But the joy ended when the new fathers were mobilised in WW1. By the time the sons took over the company’s directorships, Bourjois became the largest cosmetic-fragrance company in France. In the next decade, Bourjois had already signed licences in 100+ countries – a huge success!
Pierre was also an avid horseman who began a great racing dynasty, important in the Wertheimer story because it was at Longchamp racetrack that Pierre Wertheimer met Coco Chanel. They were introduced by Théophile Bader, founder of Galeries Lafayette.
In 1922, Chanel’s #5 perfume was launched. It had been available to an elite clientele IN her exclusive Paris boutique, but to market the perfume professionally, Coco needed someone with wide experience in commerce, international business connections and access to large amounts of capital. In 1924 Pierre and Paul Wertheimer became Coco's business partners in the House of Chanel.
Would the perfume business have survived, had Chanel been alone? NO! For a 70% share of the company, the Wertheimers provided ALL financing for production, marketing and distribution of Chanel #5. Théophile Bader, who was selling Chanel #5 to the public in his Galeries Lafayette, was given a 20% share. Chanel herself received the other 10% of the stock, licensed her name to Parfums Chanel.
Chanel needed people who could help her career, including Christian Dior, Elsa Shiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurent. But Chanel never married! In 1925, Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke Westminster met Chanel in Monte Carlo and purchased a London home for her in prestigious Mayfair district. In 1927 he gave her a parcel of land on French Riviera, to build her villa. This pro-German, anti-Semitic British Duke liaison with Chanel lasted for 10 years, the same time Chanel's friendship with Winston Churchill also blossomed.
Chanel’s lover from 1930 until his death was designer- illustrator Paul Iribe (1883–1935). His art showed aggressive patriotism, fuelling anti-Semitism and fear of foreigners.
The Duke & Duchess of Windsor married in June 1937, combining their dislike of Jews, trade unions, socialism, Freemasons & communism. The royal couple settled in Paris amid a glamorous social set of designers, Nazi sympathisers, American heiresses, British ex-pats and idle rich. Including Coco Chanel!
WW2 brought the Nazi seizure of Jewish owned property and businesses, and anticipating Nazi mandates against Jews, the Wertheimers quickly protected their company. While still in France the brothers legally turned control of Parfums Chanel over to a Christian, French industrialist Felix Amiot. As Germany was invading France, the brothers fled to New York, where Estée Lauder (1908-2004) helped set them up.
From NY the brothers sent an American emissary, H Gregory Thomas, back to France with a mission: to get the formula for #5 and the main ingredients (jasmine oils) from Grasse. Thomas also helped Pierre's son Jacques escape to US.
Chanel had never been satisfied with the ownership contract so in May 1941, as the Occupation took half of France, she used her Vichy connections to try to force the brothers out of the contract. Calling the company abandoned, Chanel argued that company Les Parfums Chanel had been Jewish property that should be confiscated & redistributed solely back to her, an Aryan. Felix Amiot ensured she failed!
After middle-aged Coco Chanel closed her Paris fashion business, she continued to live across the street at the plush Hotel Ritz, Nazi headquarters in Paris. She soon began a romance with a young, athletic officer named Hans Gunther von Dincklage, a Nazi propaganda officer
![]()
At 87 Chanel was busy working but died in Jan 1971 and was buried in the Bois-de-Vaux Cemetery, Lausanne. When she died without family, who inherited the business? In the ultimate irony, her old perfume company partners, Pierre & Paul Wertheimer, did. When they died, the company was passed down to Pierre’s son Jacques Wertheimer, and then to Jacques’ sons, Alain & Gerald Wertheimer. In 1983 German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld (1933-2019) became, and remained Chanel’s creative director.
Wartime Sites in Paris: 1939-1945bySteven Lehrer is excellent for Wertheimer family history.
Would the perfume business have survived, had Chanel been alone? NO! For a 70% share of the company, the Wertheimers provided ALL financing for production, marketing and distribution of Chanel #5. Théophile Bader, who was selling Chanel #5 to the public in his Galeries Lafayette, was given a 20% share. Chanel herself received the other 10% of the stock, licensed her name to Parfums Chanel.
Chanel needed people who could help her career, including Christian Dior, Elsa Shiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurent. But Chanel never married! In 1925, Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke Westminster met Chanel in Monte Carlo and purchased a London home for her in prestigious Mayfair district. In 1927 he gave her a parcel of land on French Riviera, to build her villa. This pro-German, anti-Semitic British Duke liaison with Chanel lasted for 10 years, the same time Chanel's friendship with Winston Churchill also blossomed.
Chanel’s lover from 1930 until his death was designer- illustrator Paul Iribe (1883–1935). His art showed aggressive patriotism, fuelling anti-Semitism and fear of foreigners.
The Duke & Duchess of Windsor married in June 1937, combining their dislike of Jews, trade unions, socialism, Freemasons & communism. The royal couple settled in Paris amid a glamorous social set of designers, Nazi sympathisers, American heiresses, British ex-pats and idle rich. Including Coco Chanel!
WW2 brought the Nazi seizure of Jewish owned property and businesses, and anticipating Nazi mandates against Jews, the Wertheimers quickly protected their company. While still in France the brothers legally turned control of Parfums Chanel over to a Christian, French industrialist Felix Amiot. As Germany was invading France, the brothers fled to New York, where Estée Lauder (1908-2004) helped set them up.
From NY the brothers sent an American emissary, H Gregory Thomas, back to France with a mission: to get the formula for #5 and the main ingredients (jasmine oils) from Grasse. Thomas also helped Pierre's son Jacques escape to US.
Chanel had never been satisfied with the ownership contract so in May 1941, as the Occupation took half of France, she used her Vichy connections to try to force the brothers out of the contract. Calling the company abandoned, Chanel argued that company Les Parfums Chanel had been Jewish property that should be confiscated & redistributed solely back to her, an Aryan. Felix Amiot ensured she failed!
After middle-aged Coco Chanel closed her Paris fashion business, she continued to live across the street at the plush Hotel Ritz, Nazi headquarters in Paris. She soon began a romance with a young, athletic officer named Hans Gunther von Dincklage, a Nazi propaganda officer
Coco Chanel and Gen Walter Schellenberg, chief of the Abwehr
warhistoryonline
Chanel was also very close to Nazi Gen Walter Schellenberg, chief of SS intelligence. Clearly Chanel collaborated with this Abwehr agent, honoured by Hitler & Goebbels, and was herself recruited as an agent into Abwehr. It paid off! Chanel kept a car, driver and petrol all war: no one but a Vichy Minister had that!
Chanel was also very close to Nazi Gen Walter Schellenberg, chief of SS intelligence. Clearly Chanel collaborated with this Abwehr agent, honoured by Hitler & Goebbels, and was herself recruited as an agent into Abwehr. It paid off! Chanel kept a car, driver and petrol all war: no one but a Vichy Minister had that!
Note that on several occasions, Félix Amiot was summoned by the Gestapo. But in Sept 1944, when Chanel was questioned by the Free French Purge Committee, they had no documented evidence of her German collaboration and had to release her. Perhaps Winston Churchill intervened with the French government, viaViscount Duff Cooper, British ambassador to the French provisional government.
Coco escaped quietly to Switzerland, and Felix Amiot turned Parfums Chanel back to the Wertheimers.
So in the early 1950s, Pierre Wertheimer visited Chanel at the Beau Rivage hotel in Lausanne and they came to a mutual agreement. Pierre gave her $9 million for her percentage of the perfume sales during the war. The tens of millions that she made later, thanks to this perfume, made her one of the richest women in the world. Her future share would be 2% of all perfume sales worldwide. Pierre Wertheimer took full control of Chanel in 1954, paying for the remaining 20% from Théophile Bader’s family. Returning to Paris in 1954, Coco was back in Rue Cambon.
Wartime Sites in Paris: 1939-1945bySteven Lehrer is excellent for Wertheimer family history.