Our friend Jonas af Jochnick passed away on May 16 at the age of 81. Researchers here at ARC were very sad to learn about Jonas’ untimely death. Jonas was a business man and a great entrepreneur. Together with his brother Robert, he founded the company Oriflame in the late 60s. Oriflame enables women in less affluent countries to buy high-quality cosmetics at a reasonable price. In the mid 90s, Jonas founded Medicover, a company that specializes in health care and diagnostics and operates across Europe and Asia.

Jonas was also a major benefactor. Through the af Jochnick Foundation, money is currently donated to around 50 projects around the world. Most of these projects are concerned with improving education and health services for children and women in developing countries.

For us at ARC, a donation from the af Jochnick Foundation amounting to 50 million kronor 2011-2020 has been instrumental in consolidating and developing our research on brain and cognitive aging. This research focuses on risk and protective factors for dementia, as well as on identifying factors that promote successful aging. To be sure, Jonas and his brother Robert serve as cardinal examples of what successful aging really means.

Jonas, we miss you dearly. Our thoughts are with your large family.