From Finance to Farming: Heir Creates Regenerative Agriculture Hub on Ibiza

Christian af Jochnick, heir to the Oriflame cosmetics empire, traded the world of high finance for a life as a farmer on the Spanish island of Ibiza. His farm, Juntos, meaning "together" in Spanish, spans 20 hectares and includes a restaurant and a year-round vegetable sales operation.

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I grew up in a big villa with a pool by the sea in Näsbypark. Some of my closest friends lived in high-rise buildings and were refugees. There were enormous social divides in my classroom and in our circle of friends. So I was exposed early to inequality in society.

Af Jochnick's path was shaped by early exposure to social inequality, growing up with friends from vastly different backgrounds. This awareness led him to work with Fryshuset, a youth organization, after high school, where he was mentored by founder Anders Carlberg. He learned the importance of passionate dedication to social challenges.

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I learned an immense amount from him. Fryshuset is an organization for passionate individuals, people who are truly passionate about various issues, primarily concerning social challenges.

Despite his early leftist leanings and questioning his father's wealth accumulation, he eventually pursued a finance career. He studied in London and joined Goldman Sachs, telling friends he was going "to learn the devil's tricks" for a good cause. However, after seven years, becoming a father made him realize he had lost his sense of purpose beyond financial gain.

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Don't worry, I have taken employment with the devil to learn his tricks and I will come back to use them for a good cause.

He felt he had become too immersed in the system, losing the drive to work for something more significant than personal profit. This realization prompted his significant life change, moving away from the financial world to establish a farm focused on regenerative agriculture.

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I had lost an important part of myself that I had at Fryshuset, working for something that is more than just making money for personal gain.