José Manuel Ferreira Neves (born June 1974) is a Portuguese entrepreneur and the founder of Farfetch, a global luxury fashion online platform.

José Neves
Born June 1974 (age 49)
Nationality Portuguese
Education University of Porto
Occupation Businessman
Known for Founder of Farfetch
Spouse Married
Children 5[1]

Early life edit

José Neves was born in June 1974. He grew up in Porto, Portugal, where his grandfather owned a shoe factory.[2] He studied economics at the University of Porto.[2]

Career edit

Neves founded his first tech company, Grey Matter, while studying at university. The company provided software for clothing manufacturers.[3]

In the same year, he founded a software firm called Platforme for small fashion brands in 1996.[4] In 1996, at the age of 22, he launched a footwear brand named Swear, and opened a store in London. The brand sold to other shops.[5] He started a retail fashion store named bstore on Savile Row in London in 2001.[6]

In 2008, Neves founded Farfetch.[6] In June 2017, Farfetch sold a minority stake to JD.com, for US$397 million, prior to launching in China.[6]

In September 2018, following the IPO of Farfetch on the New York Stock Exchange, Neves' stake in the company was valued at US$1.4 billion.[7]

In February 2024, following the sale of Farfetch to Korean e-commerce company Coupang, Neves stepped down as CEO but will remain involved with Farfetch in a consultant capacity.[8]

Personal life edit

Neves is married and has five children,[9] living in Guimarães, Portugal.[10] Neves has an apartment in Clerkenwell, London, and travels widely for work.[10]

References edit

  1. ^ Leila Abboud (11 February 2021). "How Farfetch prospered in a pandemic year". ft.com. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  2. ^ a b Joshua Levine (3 September 2016). "José Neves: how the founder of Farfetch is politely reinventing the boutique for the digital age". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  3. ^ Times, The Sunday. "José Neves net worth — Sunday Times Rich List 2021". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  4. ^ Burton, Charlie (12 July 2017). "Farfetch founder José Neves tells WIRED how he built the $1.5 billion fashion platform". Wired. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  5. ^ Armstrong, Ashley (28 August 2017). "Farfetch boss José Neves: 'The magic of bricks-and-mortar shops will never die'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  6. ^ a b c Sarah Butler (1 January 1970). "Handbags at dawn with Farfetch, the latest thing in upmarket online fashion | Fashion". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  7. ^ Lucinda Shen (21 September 2018). "Shares in Luxury Marketplace Farfetch Soar 50% After IPO, Minting a New Billionaire". fortune.com. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  8. ^ Conti, Samantha (15 February 2024). "José Neves Steps Down as Farfetch CEO in Shakeup at Coupang". WWD. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  9. ^ "How Farfetch prospered in a pandemic year". Financial Times. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  10. ^ a b "The Drapers Interview: José Neves, Farfetch". The Drapers Interview. Retrieved 31 July 2017.