About
Jorge Carlos Vergara Madrigal (3 March 1955 – 15 November 2019) was a larger‑than‑life Mexican entrepreneur who refused to stay in one lane. With little more than a borrowed car and a suitcase of vitamin powder, he built Grupo Omnilife into a nutrition‑supplement giant that operates in more than twenty countries and relies on several million independent distributors. Sports lovers know him for buying a majority stake in Club Deportivo Guadalajara—“Chivas”—in 2002 and later adding Costa Rica’s Saprissa plus Major League Soccer’s Chivas USA to his trophy case. Film buffs remember him for financing international hits such as Y Tu Mamá También. Even casual viewers caught glimpses of his quick wit when he became a panel investor on Shark Tank México. His sudden passing from cardiac arrest in New York City at age 64 closed a whirlwind life that blended street‑smart hustle with board‑room daring.
Before Fame
Vergara was the third of five children in a modest Guadalajara household, so earning money was never optional. As a teenager he fixed car engines, translated English manuals, and convinced strangers to buy used vehicles. At twenty‑three he landed a corporate post as commercial sub‑director at energy‑equipment maker Casolar, but Mexico’s 1982 debt crisis wiped the company out and sent him back to square one. Rather than complain, he rolled out a carnitas‑taco cart and soon after opened a tiny Italian restaurant to keep food on the family table. A friend then introduced him to Herbalife. Because the brand lacked Mexican permits, Vergara and a few partners smuggled canisters across the border and quietly built a customer base. The adventure taught him two lessons: nutritional products sold well, and direct selling paid fast. In 1991 he used that experience to launch Omnitrition de México, later renamed Omnilife, and within three years bought out his U.S. partners to become sole owner.
Trivia
- Big‑screen backer. A hallway chat with director Alfonso Cuarón persuaded Vergara to bankroll Y Tu Mamá También in 1999. Through their company Producciones Anhelo he later teamed with Guillermo del Toro on El Espinazo del Diablo and helped finance Niels Mueller’s The Assassination of Richard Nixon.
- Variety spotlight. U.S. trade bible Variety included him in its “10 Producers to Watch” list for 2002—rare praise for a first‑time Mexican film financier.
- Streaming pioneer. In 2016 he stunned broadcasters by pulling Chivas matches off free‑to‑air television and launching club‑owned streaming service Chivas TV, forcing fans—and advertisers—to follow him online.
- Trophy haul. Under his ownership Chivas lifted Liga MX crowns in 2006 and 2017 plus several Copa MX titles, while Saprissa claimed the 2005 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
- Show‑stopping entrances. Supporters recall him roaring into preseason camp on a purple motorcycle, jumping into terrace chants mid‑match, and handing out Omnilife samples at halftime.
Family Life
Vergara’s domestic story was as eventful as his résumé. He married Maricruz Zataráin in 1983; together they juggled factory runs, sales rallies, and the upbringing of three children—Yelena, Amaury, and Kenya—before parting ways. A later relationship with art curator Rossana Lerdo de Tejada brought daughter Uma and continued on friendly terms even during separations. In 2008 he wed business executive Angélica Fuentes. Daughters Valentina and María Ignacia soon followed, but the union dissolved in a highly public 2015 divorce that spilled into courtrooms and boardrooms alike. In 2017 Vergara and Lerdo de Tejada remarried in Guadalajara surrounded by close family. When he died two years later, son Amaury stepped in as president of both Chivas and Omnilife, preserving the family’s dual legacy in sport and commerce.
Associated With
Vergara kept company with bold thinkers across industries. On Shark Tank México he shared the investor panel with Arturo Elías Ayub, Carlos Bremer, Ana Victoria García, and Rodrigo Herrera Aspra, critiquing pitches with a cocktail of tough love, quick math, and dad jokes—and often writing checks for eco‑friendly shoes or agave‑based sweeteners. In cinema he collaborated with filmmakers Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro, Pedro Almodóvar, and Sebastián Cordero, prizing creative freedom over micromanagement. On the pitch he hired progressive coaches like Matías Almeyda and gave young talents such as Javier “Chicharito” Hernández and Carlos Vela the stage that launched European careers. Even rivals admitted that when Vergara entered a room—whether a locker room, a film set, or a television studio—the energy lifted and the stakes rose.
