Most people in Miami know the name. You see it on buildings, you hear it in boardrooms, and for decades, you saw it etched into the very fabric of the Design District. But honestly, if you think Carlos de la Cruz is just another wealthy guy with a big art collection, you’re missing the real story. Especially now.
He is 84 years old. A titan of the beverage industry. A man who basically built a Coca-Cola empire in the Caribbean while most people were still figuring out how to navigate the 80s. But since his wife and partner, Rosa, passed away in early 2024, the "Carlos de la Cruz" brand has entered a weird, transitional era.
It's a bit of a shock to the system. The famous de la Cruz Collection—that massive 30,000-square-foot museum that was free to anyone who wanted to walk in—is gone. Permanently closed. Christie’s auctioned off tens of millions of dollars worth of their art. For a family that defined the Miami art scene for thirty years, the sudden quiet is loud.
The Business Engine: More Than Just Soda
We have to talk about where the money actually comes from. Carlos M. de la Cruz Sr. isn't just a "business owner." He’s the chairman of CC1 Companies. That’s a powerhouse.
Think about this: his companies handle Coca-Cola bottling in Puerto Rico and Trinidad & Tobago. They run CC1 Beer Distributors and Florida Caribbean Distillers. We're talking about a group that pulls in roughly $1 billion in annual sales. It’s a massive operation with over 2,500 employees.
But it wasn't always just soda and spirits.
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In the 90s, he was the guy behind Eagle Brands, the exclusive Anheuser-Busch wholesaler for Miami-Dade. He eventually sold that back to Anheuser-Busch in 2007. He also owned a string of car dealerships—Miami Honda, Central Hyundai—before selling those to AutoNation. Basically, Carlos de la Cruz has spent fifty years masterfully buying high-cash-flow businesses, scaling them, and then exiting when the time was right.
The Family Name: Junior and the Third
The legacy isn't just about the patriarch anymore. If you're looking up Carlos de la Cruz in 2026, you might actually be looking for his son or grandson.
Carlos de la Cruz Jr. has carved out a massive reputation of his own, particularly in the environmental world. He’s the chair of the board for The Everglades Foundation. While his father was conquering the beverage world, Junior has been the one pushing for restoration projects and fresh water protection in Florida. He’s an avid outdoorsman, which gives him a kind of "street cred" that most corporate executives just don't have.
Then there is Carlos M. De la Cruz III. He’s a heavyweight in the legal world, specifically at Akerman LLP in Miami. He’s been named as a "One to Watch" in corporate law and private equity for 2024, 2025, and now 2026.
It’s a classic Miami dynasty. One generation built the wealth through distribution and retail; the next focused on civic leadership and the environment; and the third is deep in the mechanics of M&A and private equity.
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What People Get Wrong About the Art Collection
When the de la Cruz Collection closed its doors in 2024, people assumed the family was "getting out" of the art game.
That’s not quite right.
The closure was more about the loss of Rosa. She was the heart of that museum. Carlos and Rosa didn't just buy "pretty pictures." They bought challenging, contemporary pieces by artists like Felix Gonzalez-Torres and Christopher Wool. They were regulars on the ARTnews "Top 200 Collectors" list for a quarter of a century.
Selling 26 major pieces for $34.4 million at Christie's wasn't a fire sale. It was a refinement. The family still holds a staggering amount of work. They’ve spent decades funding travel programs for students at the New World School of the Arts and DASH. That scholarship work? It’s still happening.
Why Carlos de la Cruz Still Matters in 2026
So, why are we still talking about him? Because he represents a disappearing breed of Miami mogul.
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He’s a Cuban-born exile who came here via New York and Madrid. He has a JD from the University of Miami and an MBA from Wharton. He’s served on the boards of Georgetown, FIU, and the United Way.
In a city that often feels like it's built on "crypto-wealth" and "influencer hype," de la Cruz is the old-school bedrock. He built actual infrastructure.
Key Takeaways for Business Leaders:
- Diversify your exits: Notice how he didn't just stick to one industry. He moved from banking (Citibank) to car dealerships to beer and soda.
- Philanthropy as a pillar: The "de la Cruz" name is respected because they gave back before they were asked to. Free museum access for 15 years? That’s unheard of in the private collector world.
- Prepare the next generation: The transition of power to his children and grandchildren wasn't accidental. It was a multi-decade strategy.
If you want to understand how Miami became a global hub for both business and art, you have to look at the moves Carlos de la Cruz made in the late 70s and 80s. He didn't just follow the money; he built the pipes the money flows through.
The museum might be closed, but the influence is everywhere. You see it in the restored Everglades, in the legal filings of major Miami acquisitions, and in the cold Coke you buy in San Juan.
Next Steps for Research:
- Check the latest filings from CC1 Companies if you're tracking Caribbean beverage trends.
- Monitor The Everglades Foundation's 2026 legislative goals to see Carlos Jr.'s current impact.
- Look into the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation partnerships for ongoing art scholarship opportunities.