Yves Maxime Antoine Gijrath was born on December 16, 1966, in Amsterdam. He weighed nearly four kilos, had green eyes, and a full head of brown hair. Together with his father, mother, and older brother, he lived at Wallestein 67, in the Buitenveldert district. Yves had a carefree childhood filled with sports, cycling to school every day, plenty of friends, and a shared love for the football club AJAX with his father. His father was an excellent chess player, while his mother was a creative soul. His father’s world revolved around mathematics, whereas his mother loved art and culture. This combination of two worlds made Yves a happy child.
At a young age, Yves already realized that the world was not fairly distributed. His mother had lost both her parents during World War II, which meant Yves never knew his grandparents. His father ran his own travel agency in the 1980s, a time when customer contact was still personal. There were no online options yet; everything was done using printed tickets and stickers, which were delivered by hand. Eventually, the business went under when the bank refused to cooperate any further. The family had to leave their home, and from the 1990s onwards, Yves' parents lived in a small apartment in Amstelveen.
The entrepreneurial spirit and the awareness that no one else would take care of you, and that those you love can be taken from you at any moment, drove Yves to think big. He learned to work hard and never follow the crowd. His perseverance was evident at just 14 years old when he was named the best children's stamp seller in the country—an achievement he is still proud of today. He paid for his own studies by selling summaries to first-year students and, thanks to his initiative, received sponsorship from companies that believed in the ambitious young student.To find peace and devise a plan, Yves retreated to Korba, Tunisia. There, he experienced the power of nature and began his quest for a balance between challenges, priorities, simplicity, and the importance of a stable home life. A few years later, he met his great love, Tamara. With her, he found peace, security, and connection. Even after more than thirty years and two wonderful sons, their love continues to give him the strength and inspiration to pursue happiness. After studying Business & Economy in Amsterdam Yves gained experience in consultancy, but his heart was not in advising.
His passion was in developing conceptual marketing strategies and leading companies. At the age of 25, he started his own marketing company, with his first client being The Weather Initiative. This academically structured company used weather forecasts to develop marketing strategies for other businesses.Yves developed campaigns in collaboration with the city of Amsterdam, with dozens of trams driving around fully wrapped in advertisements. In 2000, he founded his own publishing company, producing numerous glossy magazines in the premium segment. He offered his clients tailor-made services, from fashion magazine JACKIE to men’s magazine JFK. He also launched GREEN2, the first glossy magazine that presented sustainability as a lifestyle. Yves always lived by the motto: never follow the crowd.The major breakthrough came in 2000 with MILJONAIR Magazine, a new and especially striking concept for Calvinist Netherlands. In 2002, Yves translated the world described in the magazine into a physical event: MILJONAIR FAIR. Here, the fashion shows featured in the magazine came to life, star chefs cooked, and major car brands gave presentations. It was the start of a breathtaking adventure. Eventually, the 'circus' Yves had created traveled the world, from Moscow to Shanghai and from Istanbul to Cannes.
Then came the global financial crisis, and the impact on the company was significant. Yves chose continuity and brought new partners on board. However, it soon became clear that this partnership was not a good match. In 2013, he bought back his own company. The spirit of the times called for a new concept, and that same year, he transformed his brainchild, Millionaire Fair, into MASTERS OF LXRY. According to Yves, the era of bling-bling was over, and it was time to anticipate this shift. Then came COVID-19. In 2020, the world changed, and the exhibition transformed with it. The concept evolved, and with the Forward Edition in 2021 (once restrictions allowed), the first-ever MASTERS EXPO – Capital of Great Business – was brought to Amsterdam.
YVES: ‘WHEN BUSINESS IS GOING WELL AND YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, YOU HAVE TIME TO BECOME A HUMAN BEING.’
Over more than thirty years, Yves met many prominent figures, unique personalities, and leading entrepreneurs. While his concept was enjoying global success, Yves felt like his life was passing by like a movie. What did all these people have in common? What drove the greatest entrepreneurs of his time to reach unparalleled heights? Yves reflected. He initiated, exploited, observed, and absorbed the world he had created. He continually asked himself: ‘Can one person change the world?’ And: ‘Every great name started somewhere; what journey did they take? Are there conditions for achieving greatness?’
He eventually wrote a book about it: Great Book of Greatness. The rest is future...
At a young age, Yves already realized that the world was not fairly distributed. His mother had lost both her parents during World War II, which meant Yves never knew his grandparents. His father ran his own travel agency in the 1980s, a time when customer contact was still personal. There were no online options yet; everything was done using printed tickets and stickers, which were delivered by hand. Eventually, the business went under when the bank refused to cooperate any further. The family had to leave their home, and from the 1990s onwards, Yves' parents lived in a small apartment in Amstelveen.
The entrepreneurial spirit and the awareness that no one else would take care of you, and that those you love can be taken from you at any moment, drove Yves to think big. He learned to work hard and never follow the crowd. His perseverance was evident at just 14 years old when he was named the best children's stamp seller in the country—an achievement he is still proud of today. He paid for his own studies by selling summaries to first-year students and, thanks to his initiative, received sponsorship from companies that believed in the ambitious young student.To find peace and devise a plan, Yves retreated to Korba, Tunisia. There, he experienced the power of nature and began his quest for a balance between challenges, priorities, simplicity, and the importance of a stable home life. A few years later, he met his great love, Tamara. With her, he found peace, security, and connection. Even after more than thirty years and two wonderful sons, their love continues to give him the strength and inspiration to pursue happiness. After studying Business & Economy in Amsterdam Yves gained experience in consultancy, but his heart was not in advising.
His passion was in developing conceptual marketing strategies and leading companies. At the age of 25, he started his own marketing company, with his first client being The Weather Initiative. This academically structured company used weather forecasts to develop marketing strategies for other businesses.Yves developed campaigns in collaboration with the city of Amsterdam, with dozens of trams driving around fully wrapped in advertisements. In 2000, he founded his own publishing company, producing numerous glossy magazines in the premium segment. He offered his clients tailor-made services, from fashion magazine JACKIE to men’s magazine JFK. He also launched GREEN2, the first glossy magazine that presented sustainability as a lifestyle. Yves always lived by the motto: never follow the crowd.The major breakthrough came in 2000 with MILJONAIR Magazine, a new and especially striking concept for Calvinist Netherlands. In 2002, Yves translated the world described in the magazine into a physical event: MILJONAIR FAIR. Here, the fashion shows featured in the magazine came to life, star chefs cooked, and major car brands gave presentations. It was the start of a breathtaking adventure. Eventually, the 'circus' Yves had created traveled the world, from Moscow to Shanghai and from Istanbul to Cannes.
Then came the global financial crisis, and the impact on the company was significant. Yves chose continuity and brought new partners on board. However, it soon became clear that this partnership was not a good match. In 2013, he bought back his own company. The spirit of the times called for a new concept, and that same year, he transformed his brainchild, Millionaire Fair, into MASTERS OF LXRY. According to Yves, the era of bling-bling was over, and it was time to anticipate this shift. Then came COVID-19. In 2020, the world changed, and the exhibition transformed with it. The concept evolved, and with the Forward Edition in 2021 (once restrictions allowed), the first-ever MASTERS EXPO – Capital of Great Business – was brought to Amsterdam.
YVES: ‘WHEN BUSINESS IS GOING WELL AND YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, YOU HAVE TIME TO BECOME A HUMAN BEING.’
Over more than thirty years, Yves met many prominent figures, unique personalities, and leading entrepreneurs. While his concept was enjoying global success, Yves felt like his life was passing by like a movie. What did all these people have in common? What drove the greatest entrepreneurs of his time to reach unparalleled heights? Yves reflected. He initiated, exploited, observed, and absorbed the world he had created. He continually asked himself: ‘Can one person change the world?’ And: ‘Every great name started somewhere; what journey did they take? Are there conditions for achieving greatness?’
He eventually wrote a book about it: Great Book of Greatness. The rest is future...