Joska Bourgeois

Joska Bourgeois (c.1913 – 9 October 1994) was a Belgian businesswoman who was the Belgian agent for Jaguar and later Toyota cars. Bourgeois became notable after her death for her relationship with the British businessman and politician Geoffrey Robinson, who was the recipient of a £12.75 million trust fund established by Bourgeois.

Early years Bourgeois's father was a diplomat who had become wealthy through importing jewels, carpets and furniture from Iran. Bourgeois had a sister, and their father gave them gifts of gold until they possessed their exact weight in gold on Bourgeois's 26th birthday.

Differing accounts exist of Bourgeois's activities during World War II. Bourgeois was reported to have hidden British soldiers as a member of the Belgian resistance, or that she passed information about the Nazis to Belgian freedom fighters while working as a waitress in a cafe frequented by German officers. It has also been stated that Bourgeois drove an ambulance during the war, and was decorated for her bravery at the conclusion of the war.

Bourgeois was at one point married to George Buydendyk, the former European chief executive of tyre manufacturers Goodyear. In 1993 Bourgeois bought Marshcourt, a Grade I listed Arts and Crafts style country house near Stockbridge, Hampshire, designed by Edwin Lutyens. Bourgeois bought Marshcourt for £630,000, but allowed Robinson to appear as the owner of the house.

Bourgeois provided the collateral to help Robinson gain a £100,000 loan from Credit Suisse that he required to start the electronics company TransTec in 1981. In 2000 the trust was reported have been worth £38 million.