Sibling Rivalries that run our economies
Siblings rivalries have dotted history, and in some cases even made history.
Since the days of Cain and Abel, sibling relationships have been complicated, some have been involved in bitter fights over money and power, while others are purely playful, competitive one-upmanship.
These sibling relationships, however, have helped run our economies with the various businesses and ventures that came out of it.
Puma & Adidas
Did you know that this rivalry goes back to an actual sibling rivalry? Yes, you heard right!
The founders of both companies are actually siblings, and their feud goes back all the way to the 1920s.
The German brothers, Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, created a shoe company together in their mother’s laundry room.
The “Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory” as it was called saw business boom as did the tensions between the brothers. And though they didn’t always see eye to eye, they were always able to put their differences aside to work together, that is, until one fateful night during World War 2.
When they officially split up, Adolf started Adidas, combining his nickname “Adi” with the first three letters of his last name, while Rudolf created Puma, then named “Ruda” which was tweaked to share its name with a certain wildcat. The rivalry between Adidas and Puma remains even today, though it’s much friendlier.
Wright Siblings
The Wright brothers. Who doesn’t know Wilbur and Orville Wright, the inventors of the first successful aeroplane?
But did you know that Katharine, the Wright brothers’ youngest sibling, played a huge role in facilitating her brothers’ aviation success?
Katherine, who worked as a Latin teacher in Dayton, Ohio, had graduated from Oberlin and, although she wasn’t an engineer, she frequently corresponded with her brothers when they were in North Carolina, testing aeroplane prototypes.
The brothers used to bounce ideas off of her while she provided them emotional support and encouragement when they worried that flight simply wasn’t possible.
She also helped run her brothers’ bicycle company, which provided the funds that the brothers used to finance their aeroplane experiments.
Moreover, Katharine helped publicize the Wright Brothers’ success by encouraging them to do public flight demonstrations and give speeches.
Katharine even learned French, so she could hobnob with European royalty and aristocracy, spreading the word of her brothers’ aeronautical achievement.
Prince William & Harry
William and Harry who grew up royal, in the public eye, had endured the tragic loss of their mother at a young age. Now most of us know of Harry and William’s rivalry post the splitting of the household, although rivalry does seem destined what with William, the older brother, is to be king one day.
Despite that, this wasn’t entirely unexpected now that Harry was married, but media outlets still started speculating that a rift was growing between the brothers.
The speculation only got stronger after Harry decided to “step back” from royal duties and giving up his title and his land in January 2020. Though sources say that the brothers are “talking more and they’re on better footing”, it does seem like things are a little rocky between the royals.
Harry now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son and is expected to have a Netflix deal at hand while William and his family continue to carry on with their royal duties.
Kim & Rob
Kim and Rob Kardashian are probably one of the most well-known pair of siblings in the world. Their show, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, saw their entire family grow up in the public eye. But that’s not all. The show didn’t just bring them publicity, it also brought them a fortune on the business front.
Though Rob is lesser-known of the two, Rob Kardashian appeared alongside his family in almost every episode of the show and used it as a platform to promote his business ventures.
Kim, along with the rest of her family, started her own beauty company KKW Beauty and clothing line SKIMS. Along with the reality TV income, endorsements and smaller investments, Kim’s net worth is estimated to be a whopping $1 billion, according to Forbes.
In 2020, Kim followed in her sister Kylie’s footsteps and sold a 20 per cent stake in her KKW Beauty line to Coty for $200 million. Kim’s 72 per cent stake in her cosmetics brand has an estimated value of $500 million. Her majority stake in SKIMS is estimated at $225 million.
Rob’s net worth is calculated to be at $10 million, the bulk of which comes from his appearances on Keeping Up With the Kardashians, while the rest comes from his various businesses.
Anil and Mukesh Ambani
Anil and Mukesh Ambani are one of the richest set of a sibling in Asia.
The brothers have a complicated relationship, having worked together under their father at Reliance Industries. At the time, they displayed remarkable chemistry, though the relationship appears to have broken down in the months after their father’s death.
Mukesh Ambani, 62, is the richest man in Asia with roughly US$50 billion, according to Forbes’ real-time assessment. While the older Ambani, Mukesh’s wealth, massively outweighs his younger brother’s fortune, Anil Ambani is not too far behind. Anil Ambani’s fortune in 2008 stood at US$42 billion, making him the sixth richest person in the world.
The brothers’ complicated, intertwined business ties have led to plenty of feuds over the years, with many in the press labelling Mukesh and Anil’s relationship a “sibling rivalry”.
