Goldfarb grew up in what he described as a “commune of Holocaust survivors,” and said, “I guess I have within me a survivor’s instinct.” In spite of all he went through, he was a happy guy. He had years of pain and he had years of prosperity. There could be no worse crisis than what he endured and, fortunately for me, he came through it. “Those words always stick with me, and his story is always part of my life. The last words his father told him before he was sent off to the death camp were, “‘Maybe you will survive,’” Goldfarb said. Last year was a banner year for both the company and Goldfarb, who logged total compensation of $24.9 million, including $7.5 million in incentive pay, a $1 million salary and stock awards that were valued at $16.2 million, although their realized value will depend on how the shares perform, linking the chief executive officer’s fortunes to those of shareholders. The 35 percent bounce-back in sales for 2021 drove profits of more than $200 million.

Today G-III logs annual revenues of $2.8 billion with brands such as DKNY, Donna Karan and Karl Lagerfeld and big licensed businesses with PVH Corp.’s Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein.

The firm morphed from a maker of leather jackets into a powerhouse licensor of a women’s apparel into now, a builder of brands. Luckily Goldfarb is a quick study - he has had to be - as G-III evolved to keep up with the times.

Although his father founded the company that would become G-III, it is Goldfarb who has crafted it into the business it is today, taking the reins just two years after joining the business and living most of his adult life in the G-III corner office.

Maybe You Will Survive by Aron Goldfarb