Self-Made Millionaire And Philanthropist Christel DeHaan Dies At 77

Pioneering timeshare entrepreneur and Indiana philanthropist Christel DeHaan has died at the age of 77, her foundation announced Saturday.

DeHaan, a German immigrant, is known for cofounding timeshare business Resort Condominiums International with then-husband Jon in 1974. She died at home, surrounded by family, according to her nonprofit Christel House International. 

DeHaan was featured on Forbes’ list of America’s self-made women for the past five years, most recently with a net worth estimated at $950 million. Born in Nordlingen, Germany in 1942, she lost her father, a German soldier, during World War II. She left home at age 16 to become a nanny in the U.K. Four years later, she immigrated to the U.S. and eventually settled in Indiana.

She got half of Resort Condominiums International (RCI) when she and Jon divorced in 1987, then bought out her ex’s share for $67.5 million in 1989. In 1996, she sold the company for $825 million, taking home an estimated $550 million. 

DeHaan then began devoting her life to philanthropy, founding Christel House International in 1998. Her mission was to better the lives of impoverished children through education, healthcare and other initiatives. Today, Christel House serves nearly 6,000 students and graduates worldwide through schools in India, Jamaica, Mexico, South Africa and the United States. DeHaan served as the charity’s CEO until 2018, and remained on the board until her death.   

“Christel’s vision and compassion were unparalleled,” Dennert O. Ware, Christel House International Governance Committee chair, said in a statement. “Christel sought to provide impoverished children with a seat at the table of life – and accomplished her mission with a unique blend of business acumen, generosity and empathy for those less fortunate.”

In her lifetime DeHaan gave more than $220 million to charity. Christel House will continue to be supported in the future through funding from the Endless Success Foundation, an organization created by her estate. It was her wish that all Christel House general and administrative expenses be covered in perpetuity, according to the nonprofit.

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb said in a statement, “Christel was a world renown humanitarian, rooted in her expertise in business and expressed through immense compassion. She used her talents to support the arts, and transform the lives of impoverished children globally through educational access to those she had never met. I will miss her spirit, her wit, her commitment, but most of all daily inspiration. We should all be comforted knowing her legacy will live on for generations to come.”

She is survived by her older sister, three children, numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and nieces and nephews.