Levi Strauss: The Most Successful Jewish Descendant in the World

CNBC Insight

Muhammad Fakhriansyah, CNBC Indonesia

Entrepreneur

Friday, 13/10/2023 21:50 WIB

Photo: Levi Strauss, creator of Levi’s pants. (Doc. Levistrauss)

Jakarta,CNBC Indonesia – A wise saying goes, “A dead elephant leaves its tusks, a dead tiger leaves its stripes.” That is, when a person dies, then his services and all his deeds will always be remembered for all time.

That’s what happened to Levi Strauss, the creator of Levi’s trousers. Even though he is gone, his name will always be remembered as the most successful Jewish descendant in the world. In fact, his business products have succeeded in conquering ‘the whole world’.

What’s the story?

The story begins in California, United States, in the middle of the 19th century. There was a gold boom, so many people came there to find gold to sell back. One of the people who came was Levi Strauss.

He came with his mother and two younger siblings after traveling for days from Germany. Upon arriving at Uncle Sam in 1847, this man born in Bavaria, February 26 1829, rushed to find money.

However, he did not become a gold miner. He chose to live his life as a traveling salesman under the banner of J. Strauss & Co, which his brother founded in New York.

For Levi, being a trader is not a new job. Because Levi was born and grew up in a Jewish merchant family. His father and mother, who had previously successfully started a business in Germany, often involved Levi in business matters. On this basis, he understands quite well about business mechanisms.

As a result, since deciding to live in California, he immediately started trading. According to the book Inventors and Inventions (2008) Levi then founded Levi Strauss & Co. which sells clothes and household equipment, such as combs, mirrors, towels and so on.

Even so, the whole business did not run smoothly. This happened because all the products were not suitable in the miner-dominated California market. Apparently they don’t think much about such products.

Luckily, in the midst of the threat of business bankruptcy, a female customer suddenly arrived with a complaint.

She was annoyed that her gold miner husband’s trousers often tore. When it was re-stitched, it soon tore again. That’s how it kept happening. As a result, he asked Levi for help in finding material that was thick and strong enough so it wouldn’t tear.

As Lynn Downey featured in Levi Strauss and Co (2009), Levi rushed to his tailor, Jacob Davis, to convey his intentions. The two of them immediately scrambled to find the right trousers for the miner.

It is very difficult for both of them to find trousers that are durable, thick and comfortable to wear. Until finally, they found the material in question. The material is denim which he calls waist overalls.

s can be produced in 90 seconds” title=”Using laser technology, now a piece of Levi’s trousers can be produced in 90 seconds” />Photo: BBC Magazine
Using laser technology, now a piece of Levi’s trousers can be produced in 90 seconds

Long story short, from that material, trousers for miners were made which were full of stitches and spikes in every curve. When worn by the miner, it turned out that the trousers were really strong after being used for a long time.

From here, Jacob’s trousers began to become popular. He started to be flooded with orders and then set the price at US$ 3 per pair of trousers. On this matter he collaborated with Levi. All trousers made by Jacob will be distributed by Levi Strauss & Co.

The two of them then registered the invention of denim pants for a patent in 1873. Since then, sales of denim pants in California have only been held by Levi Strauss & Co. Both also made big profits.

Over time, the popularity of these pants expanded. The entire United States is crazy about pants which have become known as Levi’s branded jeans. Levi’s wealth skyrocketed and he suddenly became a billionaire in the US in the 1890s.

When he died on September 26 1902, Levi was known to have owned a house worth US$ 300 million or around Rp. 4 trillion. Like rich people in general, Levi is also active in philanthropic activities. He founded the Levi Strauss Foundation which is active in educational and charitable activities. Not only that, he is also active in Jewish community organizations in the United States.

No wonder when Times of Israel called Levi the most successful person of Jewish descent in the West. That term is not an exaggeration. The reason is, after his death Levi’s business became increasingly successful.

Slowly but surely Levi’s jeans are taking over the world. In fact, the Levi’s brand has become a pronoun for jeans. In Indonesia, the Levi’s brand is also present and rampant on the market. The trouser repairman just uses the name ‘vermak levis’ as a promotion.

Now, the Levi’s business, which has been continued by his children and grandchildren, is 170 years old. CNBC International noted that Levi Strauss & Co was successful in making a profit of IDR 20 trillion in 2022.

Watch the video below: