Spotlight
of all, he liked to describe himself as 'an ordinary chap' and 'a
rambling fool, flitting from one subject to another.' He may have
liked to ridicule his image. But he was no fool. On the image that
a brewer should have, for example, he had this to say: "The main
thing is that your customers think kindly of you. So you try to be
nice to them - day in and day out." Friendliness was accordingly
one of his trademarks. He turned his first name 'Alfred' into
'Freddy' - a much more congenial name, which suited the product
better. Presentation was the key: it wasn't beer he was selling,
but shared pleasures.
In the 1950s and 60s, it was not so much his entrepreneurial
achievements that caught the attention of the media as his
extravagant lifestyle. Alfred Heineken did not fit the classical
image of the fuddy-duddy, down-to-earth industrialist. He had to
be seen wearing the right suit and he indulged his passions and
hobbies. He collected paintings by famous artists like Picasso,
Karei Appel and Carel Willink, designed his own houses and had a
unique collection of cars. He travelled the length and breadth of
The Netherlands in imposing American limousines, with chauffeur
and telephone, and he flew his own twin engine plane. He
astounded the outside world by building a modern house
complete with swimming pool in Noordwijk as well as second
homes in Switzerland and France. He was in direct contact with
many prominent people, including royalty. However, he always
emphatically rejected the 'playboy' label, arguing, "I understand
playboy to mean someone who idles his time away, and that's not
me. I work my socks off. A playboy is still a boy, and I'm a man!
Sure, I'm a bon vivant. I like the good things in life, I like good
