Fèlix Millet i Maristany
Félix Millet i Maristany | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Barcelona, Spain |
| Died | February 23, 1967 (aged 63) Barcelona, Spain |
| Occupation(s) | Financier, arts benefactor |
| Known for | President of Banco Popular Español, president of Orfeón Catalán, co-founder and first president of Òmnium Cultural |
Félix Millet i Maristany (born in Barcelona on December 29, 1903 – died there on February 23, 1967) was a notable Spanish financier, arts benefactor, and advocate for cultural initiatives.
Biography
Félix Millet was the son of Joan Millet i Pagès, a cotton industry entrepreneur, and the nephew of Lluís Millet, who co-founded the Catalan Choral Society. Professionally, he concentrated on the insurance industry. In 1932, he held the position of president of the Federation of Young Christians and served as director of the newspaper El Matí, which was affiliated with the UDC. When the civil war erupted in 1936, he sought refuge in Trieste but subsequently volunteered to join the rebel forces in Burgos.
In 1943, together with lawyer Pere Puig i Quintana, he established Benèfica Minerva, a secret organization dedicated to collective patronage. By 1947, Millet had become secretary of the Comissió Abat Oliba and was appointed president of the board of directors at Banco Popular Español, a role he held until 1957. He also presided over Compañía Hispano Americana de Seguros y Reaseguros. During his tenure, Banco Popular evolved from a trade-oriented entity into a contemporary banking institution, with deposits growing from 200 million to 5 billion pesetas, ranking it as Spain’s eighth largest bank by deposit volume. The Millet family divested most of their shares in early 1957, after which Félix assumed the title of honorary president.
He was chosen as president of the Orfeón Catalán in 1951 and actively supported the Obra del Ballet Popular. Additionally, he was a co-founder and served as the inaugural president of Òmnium Cultural starting in 1961.
Félix Millet i Maristany fathered Fèlix Millet i Tusell, who founded and led Fundació Orfeó Català-Palau de la Música Catalana until his removal in 2009 amid corruption accusations; Joan Millet i Tusell, who directed Banca Catalana; and Xavier Millet i Tusell, who ran as a Convergència i Unió candidate for mayor of Barcelona during the 1979 municipal elections.