Georges Nagelmackers

George Nagelmackers competed at the 1900 Paris Olympics in the four-in-hand competition in equestrianism, winning a gold medal with one of his two teams. Born to a wealthy family, Nagelmackers traveled to the United States as a youth, studying train systems, especially Pullman cars. On returning to Europe he developed a plan to install such sleeper cars on European trains, which he published as “Project d’Installation de wagons-lits sur les chemins de fer du continent.”

In 1873 Nagelmackers founded Georges Nagelmackers & Company, which he later renamed as Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL). He also started Compagnie Internationale des Grands Hotels, which built and operated luxury hotels along his train routes.

Among the trains that Nagelmackers operated was the famous Orient Express. The companies that he formed eventually became the well-known travel agency, Carlson Wagon-lit Travel, which was, for many years, the official travel agency of the IOC.