With great sadness, we learned of the passing of Christel DeHaan, co-founder and long-time leader for the first 25 years of Resort Condominiums International (RCI), who had the greatest impact on the development of the timeshare (multiproprietà) industry worldwide.
Christel was a philanthropist, community leader, and international founder and chairperson of Christel House International. She passed away at home, surrounded by her family. She leaves behind three children and her older sister, as well as numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. She was 77 years old.
In Forbes’ list of successful self-made women, Christel ranks 27th with a personal fortune of $950 million and 347th among the 400 richest people in 2003.
Her life story is an example to follow.
Christel was born in Germany. Before moving to the United States at the age of 20 in 1962, she had worked as a nanny in the United Kingdom since she was 16.
In 1974, together with her husband John, she founded one of the first vacation timeshare (multiproprietà) exchange companies, Resort Condominiums International (RCI).
They built their business almost in a shoebox under the bed, storing cards listing all available timeshares in Florida and California. The cards were laid out on the floor, and exchanges were arranged manually.
A year later, the couple converted their garage into an office and hired a secretary as the business expanded.
The company soon became one of the first to enter the high-tech computer world.
By the early 1980s, RCI owned the third most powerful computer in the world, after Microsoft and the Pentagon.
After her husband suffered a heart attack in 1979, Christel took over the company’s management.
In 1987, following their divorce, Christel obtained half of the business and bought the other half from her ex-husband for $67.5 million.
In 1996, she sold RCI to the well-known Wyndham Hotels and Resorts Group for $825 million (550 million in cash, the rest in stock), retaining a seat on the board of directors.
In 1998, Christel founded the non-profit Christel House International, aiming to change the lives of children from the world’s poorest regions.
By then, Christel already had vast experience in international philanthropy. She believed that giving children education would allow them to help their communities in the future by becoming skilled and needed professionals. To that end, schools were opened in Mexico, Romania, Bulgaria, and India.
The most successful project has been in South Africa, where children from the poorest families receive education, nutrition, and full support for school, sports, and laboratory activities. Seventy percent of graduates continue their studies and acquire skills for their communities. Christel invested over $220 million of her own funds in this philanthropic initiative.
In 2018, Christel stepped down as Chairperson but remained on the Christel House Board. More than 6,000 students have studied at Christel House learning centers in the USA, Jamaica, India, Mexico, and South Africa.
“I learned that it is OK to make mistakes as long as you learn from them and don’t repeat them.” – Christel DeHaan
