Chapter one The journey
Twenty dollars, and no English.
In 1976, Jacob "Jay" Adoni, a 17 year old from Israel, arrived in America with nothing more than his ambition and a twenty dollar bill.
1976
The arrival
He hardly spoke English. What he had was the will to work hard, real hard.
The book that later profiled him would call his rise something that seems more like a story about the immigrants of a century ago.
Arrival record
- From
- Israel
- To
- United States
- Language
- Hardly any English
- Assets
- Ambition
The first jobs
Odd jobs first.
Before he owned a company, he worked the jobs nobody writes about.
I don't mind working hard, I never complain.
Jay Adoni, quoted in The Dynamos
The record
How the story kept going.
- 1978
Founds LJ Simone
He decided it was time to start his own business. LJ Simone became one of the most successful American fashion accessories brands of the 1980s, growing to over $120 million in annual sales.
- 1986
Profiled in The Dynamos
Brett Kingstone's book profiled him as the owner of a shoe manufacturing company, Admos Shoe Corporation: over 250 employees, over $20 million in sales that year, and customers including Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's and Macy's.
- 1993
Sells LJ Simone to Pentland Brands
The global fashion accessories company acquired LJ Simone, and he served as President of Pentland USA.
- 1993 to 2007
Securities and real estate
He earned his Series 7, 63 and 24 licenses, worked in the securities industry and became a licensed Real Estate Broker, developing commercial real estate in Glen Cove, New York.
- 2007
Founds PLV Studio
A women's shoes and accessories maker and retailer of two global brands, Pour La Victoire and Kelsi Dagger. VMG Partners acquired a majority interest in 2014.
- 2012 onward
Investor, director, adviser and CEO
Investor and director of TAG, Inc., home of Modern Vice, then a consultant to Modern Vice. He has also served as CEO of Keep Healthy Inc, a fast growing snack food company.