NETJETS US VOLUME 12 2020

Such a peripatetic lifestyle makes him an
ideal NetJets Brand Ambassador, and he fully
appreciates the service he receives: “With
my busy international schedule, NetJets has
allowed me to be a lot more fl exible with my
travel. I get to places faster and more effi ciently,
which means more time with my family and
better preparation for polo competitions.”
That busy schedule can take its toll but it’s
one he and his family have become used to.
“It looks more glamorous than it actually is,”
he says with a laugh. “The truth is we’ve been
doing it for 25 years. My kids were born into this
lifestyle. That’s what we love about it. It’s a lot of
polo, a lot of travel, and a lot about giving back.”
In keeping with Figueras’ charitable spirit,
a portion of the proceeds from his perfume
collection is donated to Sentebale, the nonprofi t
endeavor founded by a close friend, the Duke
of Sussex, that supports mental health and
well-being initiatives for children affected
by HIV in Lesotho, Botswana, and Malawi.
Thanks in large part to the game of polo, the
relationship between Figueras and Prince
Harry has evolved from that of vigorous and
joyful pursuit of trophies, to a deeper and
meaningful commitment to philanthropy. This
connection resulted in Figueras becoming the
fi rst ambassador for the charity and he has been
to Lesotho to see the program at fi rst hand and
collaborate with its efforts.
Figueras’ admiration for Prince Harry is
apparent, as he acknowledges that as avid rider
and polo enthusiast from a young age the prince
has done so much not just to raise the profi le
of the sport but to use that as a platform for his
charity work – and the Argentinian is honored to
work with his cause. “I give Harry all the credit
for getting the popularity of polo going,” Figueras
says. “Things got complicated when he joined the
army. His time was restricted, and he couldn’t
participate the same way. I thought, for sure,
without Harry this was it for my plans to promote
the game. He was a huge attraction who got the
popularity of it going. Still, we had huge turnouts
for the following tournaments, and that’s when I
knew that polo had a lot of the ingredients that
pulled people in to watch.”
In addition to his promising stock as a scent
purveyor, Figueras has engaged in developing
projects under his namesake design group
that fuses his two great passions: riding and
architecture. His beautiful and sumptuously
modern stable, or a study in controlled
refi nement as some observers might call it, is
located in the Argentinian countryside and is
where Figueras’ visions come to life, thanks to
the architect Juan Ignacio Ramos, a compatriot
and old friend.
Revering Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s
rectilinear forms and Luis Barragán’s colorful
modernism, Figueras isn’t timid about admitting
that architecture could have been an alternative
career choice if polo hadn’t worked out. “I
partnered with my architects who helped me
translate my vision and we created FDG,”
Figueras explains. “We now have equestrian club
design projects around the world that we are
working on. I just love it. Architecture is another
great passion of mine.”
With so many laurels to rest on and even more
plans for the future, the topic Figueras seems
to enjoy talking about most is the time at home
he gets to spend with his children. “They do
schoolwork in the morning and then they ride for
the rest of the day,” he says with a hint of pride
in the life he and his mallet have built for them.
“And I get to eat lunch and dinner with my children
almost every day of my life. It’s a blessing.”
“We have equestrian club design projects
around the world. I just love it.”
NetJets
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