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Corona Beer Founder Leaves Millions To Spanish Villagers

Antonino Fernandez, the founder of Corona beer

The residents of a tiny village in Spain became instant millionaires after the death of the founder of Corona beer.

All 80 villagers of the small Spanish town of Cerezales del Condado have become overnight millionaires after the death of Antonino Fernández, the founder of the world famous Corona beer. Unexpectedly, Fernández had left behind more than two million US dollars to each of the villagers in his will, even though Corona was created across the sea in Mexico.

The iconic bottle of Corona beer

The iconic bottle of Corona beer

Fernández achieved much success in the beer brewing industry, and is known all over the world as the man who created the Corona, which has since its creation become an international sensation. But things were not always easy for him.

He was born into a poor family the Spanish Cerezales del Condado, and was the eleventh of 13 children. By the age of 14, his family had it so hard that he was forced to quit school because they couldn’t afford the tuition.

His luck started to change in 1949, when he moved to Mexico with his wife Cinia González Díez, to work at her uncle’s brewery. He later helped him establish Grupo Modelo, Mexico’s largest brewery and one of the largest in the world.

In 1971, Fernández became Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Grupo Modelo. He remained CEO until 1997 and Chairman of the Board until 2005, and passed down the roles to his nephew Carlos Fernández González, but remained the Honorary Life Chairman of Grupo Modelo until his death.

Despite the success he achieved during his 99 years, Fernández never forgot his origins and roots. In his will he decided to leave his childhood hometown a sum of $210 million, leaving each of the villages 80 residents around $2.49 million.

The billionaire also left the town money for a brand new cultural center, as well as a non-profit foundation with 300 employees. He passed away last August at the age of 99.

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