- Nathan Foy is the founder of Fortis, which provides ground transportation for the ultrawealthy.
- Fortis’ clientele are millionaires and billionaires, typically business travelers.
- Foy guides his clients through cybersecurity concerns, cultural norms, and weather delays.
When Nathan Foy founded Fortis in 2001, his original business model was selling prepaid credit cards to college students at major East Coast universities looking for a safer travel option than walking or driving themselves to use on taxis. But after 9/11, he told Insider, he began working with a travel-assistance company whose clients requested private chauffeur services, specifically for transfers to and from private jets.
“In the wake of 9/11, private aviation was growing by leaps and bounds and needed a solution for pickups,” Foy said. “We spread by word of mouth and networking.”
Seeing an untapped market, Foy pivoted to secure-transportation and concierge services, like VIP hotel check-in, personal shopping, in-car beverage requests, and more, for ultra-high-net-worth individuals, which is still the focus of his business today. Foy’s knowledge of various markets and cultures around the world allows him to protect his clients — or principals, as Fortis calls them — from cybersecurity threats, give them access to top-of-the-line medical care, and advise protection measures on their trips. The mission, Foy said, is to help the client travel more efficiently.