Newsells Park Stud founder Jacobs dies at 71

Klaus Jacobs, a German-born entrepreneur and billionaire who founded and

built Newsells Park Stud into a successful breeding and racing operation in England and

beyond, has passed away in Zurich, Switzerland, following a lengthy illness. He was 71 years

old. A Swiss citizen and a resident of Britain, Jacobs is survived by his second

wife, Renata, and six children.

The eldest son of a German coffee merchant, Jacobs was born in the northern

German city of Bremen on December 3, 1936, and graduated from a business

school in Hamburg. He founded the first coffee export company of his own in

1958, and became a member of the senior management board of Johann Jacobs & Co. Jacobs made the decision in 1982 to merge with Swiss chocolate purveyor Interfood, landing the popular Toblerone brand and creating Europe's largest and

most important coffee and chocolate manufacturer, renaming the company Jacobs

Suchard. He later sold the conglomerate to Phillip Morris for 3.1 billion Swiss

francs (about $2.6 billion).

In 1996, Jacobs created Adecco SA, which has become

the world's biggest temporary employment company, left the company in 2002, but

returned two years later amid an accounting scandal, which cost the company 35

percent of its market value in a single day. He remained with the company until

last year. In 1988, Jacobs launched a foundation to promote youth causes. In

2001, he donated a large portion of his fortune to the organization.

Jacobs bought Newsells Park Stud located on 1,200 acres between Newmarket and

London in July 2000 and immediately set out to build a broodmare band of the

highest quality, acquiring horses who achieved Timeform or equivalent

ratings of 90 or better at the races. Under the guidance and counsel of

bloodstock advisor Robert Acton, Jacobs was a major presence at Central Kentucky

breeding stock sales between 2000 and 2002. Newsells signed tickets on at least

69 mares over that three-year stretch at Keeneland, accounting for more than $38

million in gross receipts.

Among Jacobs's more prominent purchases were Prix Vermeille (Fr-G1) winner Volvoreta (GB) for $2.4 million; Beverly D. S.

(G1) victress Snow Polina for $2.1 million; Teggiano (Ire), who took the Fillies Mile

(Eng-G1) in 1999,

for $2.1 million; and the accomplished globetrotting mare Ela Athena (GB) for $2

million.

Newsells' first significant yearling crop hit the track in 2006 with great

success. Soapy Danger (GB) (Danzig) won the Queen's Vase

(Eng-G3) at Royal Ascot and later won the Princess of Wales's S. (Eng-G2) at Newmarket in the

colors of Renata Jacobs. Best Name (GB) (King's Best), bred by Newsells, won a

listed event in France before finishing runner-up in the Prix du Jockey-Club

(Fr-G1) and an unlucky fourth to Rail Link in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

(Fr-G1).

Newsells was also active in the stallion

business, including 2003 Derby Italiano (Ity-G1) hero Osorio, who stood his

first year at stud at Newsells in 2008. The stud also has shares in Epsom

Derby (Eng-G1) winner Motivator, Dr Fong and Green Tune.