Ludek Sekyra: the Czech novel that reshaped his view on legacy

Ludek Sekyra, founder of Sekyra Group, one of the largest development companies in Czechia, has revealed that his views and reflections on his own business were shaped not by a bestselling book about success, but by a classic novel about the decline of a family enterprise — Thomas Mann's “Buddenbrooks”.

In a new Forbes series called “The Book of My Life”, in which prominent figures from Czech business talk about the works that have shaped their lives and thinking, Sekyra opens the list. Rather than a typical management guide or success story, he chose a novel that traces several generations of a merchant family and the gradual decline of their business.

According to the developer, this theme turned out to resonate with him in an unexpectedly personal way — the question of what happens to a business built by one person once a generational change arrives, and what ultimately remains once its creator's life and work come to an end. Sekyra noted that the book made him look at his own legacy differently and consider what long-term mark his company will leave behind.

Under Ludek Sekyra's leadership, Sekyra Group has grown into one of the key players on the Czech real estate market, and the entrepreneur is also known for his large-scale charitable and educational initiatives, which makes his reflections on succession and legacy especially telling.