Cuban-American sugar magnate Alfonso Fanjul dies at 89 in US

Alfonso 'Alfy' Fanjul, a prominent Cuban-American businessman who established a vast sugar empire in the United States following his exile from Cuba, has died at the age of 89 in South Florida. His passing was reported by the Miami Herald.

Fanjul, who led Florida Crystals, one of the largest private sugar companies in the U.S., died on Monday after a prolonged period of health challenges, according to Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez of the Diocese of Palm Beach, where Fanjul resided. Born in Havana in 1936, Fanjul arrived in the U.S. in the 1960s after Fidel Castro's rise to power. His family, a significant force in Cuba's sugar industry, lost their properties due to government expropriations.

Taking the helm of the business in 1982 after his father's death, Fanjul, alongside his brother José, transformed their West Palm Beach-based company into a leading private sugar producer in the nation. Bishop Rodríguez remembered him as "a man of exemplary moral character whose extraordinary business vision was accompanied by a deep commitment to the common good."

Beyond his business acumen, Fanjul was a notable political donor in Florida. He co-chaired Bill Clinton's presidential campaign in the state in 1992 and supported Democratic candidates, while his brother funded Republicans, granting the family access to both major parties. Fifty years after leaving Cuba, Fanjul visited the island in 2012 and 2013, expressing willingness to invest there under the right conditions, a stance that drew criticism from some in the Miami exile community.