Jan Toye: A €351M Heritage of Inherited Breweries and Deep Social Commitment

Jan Toye

With an asset valuation to 351 million euros, the company Diepensteynformerly known as Brouwerij Palm and Brouwerij Rodenbach, now runs a family office in Londerzeel. The company's portfolio is growing and currently ranks among the TOP 80 richest Belgians. Initiated byr Fred Van Roy and taken over by his nephew Jan Toye, thea brewery is famous for its Palm beer and the acquisition of specialist breweries such as Rodenbach and Boon.

However, despite its reputation, the brewery has struggled to maintain its market share, with a persistent operating loss in recent years. Toye, who also has a passion for breeding Brabant draught horses, sold 60 % of Palm to the Dutch brewery. Bavaria owned by the Swinkels family in 2016, and in 2021The Dutch family took full control of the Palm Group, with the exception of the Boon geuze brewery, which remains in the hands of the Toye family.

Breweries account for only 15 % of Toye assetswhich derives most of its earnings from private equity investments and via Bencis funds. The latter own shares in building materials specialists such as qu'Etex and Aliaxis, and in Belfima (AvH). Jan Toye suffered a significant loss of almost 100 million euros with the fall of Fortis, where he was one of the main shareholders. More recently, he attempted to turn around the cycles Eddy Merckxto overcome operating losses.

In reaction to the suicide of his gifted son in 2004Jan Toye created the GaVoorGeluk which supports research into the prevention of depression and suicide. It also funds a chair at the Université catholique de Louvain, focusing on giftedness and the well-being of young people.

The year 2016 marked a period of divestment for the Toye family, with the sale of the hardly profitable brand of Eddy Merckx bikes and 60 % from Brouwerij Palm to Bavaria. This transaction generated an exceptional profit of 17 million euros for Toye. The full sale in 2021 brought an additional profit of 52 million euros. The following year, real estate assets of the brewery was also transferred to Swinkels.

Past and present activities:

• Beers and Brands:
  • Palm Belgian Craft Brewers
  • Rodenbach
  • Boon
• Partnerships and Sales:
  • Joint venture with Royal Swinkels Family Brewers
• Other interests:
  • Private equity
  • Bencis investment fund

Social Commitments:

• GaVoorGeluk Foundation: preventing depression and suicide among young people
• Financing a university chair dedicated to giftedness

Real estate:

• Transfer of real estate assets to the Swinkels family in 2022

The careful management of his diversified portfolio testifies to Jan Toye's resilience in the face of market turbulence and his commitment to society through the GaVoorGeluk Foundation.