The late Irene Banerjee’s name may not be as widely recognized, yet her life was marked by her staunch support for her husband, Steve Banerjee. Steve Banerjee was the co-founder of the renowned Chippendales’ male strip club.
Apart from being Steve’s wife, Irene was a successful accountant, media personality, and entrepreneur in her own right.
Quick Facts About Irene Banerjee
Full name: Irene Katherine Tychowskyj
Known as: Irene Banerjee
Birthdate: 10 November 1956
Birthplace: Lackawanna, Erie County, New York, USA
Occupation: Accountant, Media Personality, and Entrepreneur
Education: High School Graduate
Alma Mater: South Park High School
Ethnicity: Mixed
Death date: 8 February 2001
Place of death: Playa del Rey in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA
Religion: Christianity
Nationality: American
Family Background & Education
Irene Katherine Tychowskyj, later known as Irene Banerjee, was more than a celeb wife to Steve Banerjee, the creator of the Chippendales. Irene, daughter of Anna and Wolodymyr Tychowskyj, was the youngest of six siblings.
Hailing from Lackawanna, Erie County, New York, Irene’s life was filled with triumphs and defeats – from the fame and luxury of her affiliation with the Chippendale dynasty to dealing with individual tragedies.
Irene’s family originally hailed from Ukraine and moved to the United States to seek better career prospects. Sadly, her father left this world in 1984 and her mother followed him in 2011.
Growing up, she had five siblings – Myron and Robert Tychowskyj, and her sisters Olga Liberti, Kathy Tychowskyj, and Helen Maryman. She was raised in a Christian household and was of mixed Ukrainian ethnicity.
Despite this, Irene acquired lots of wisdom from her family. She finished her schooling at South Park High School which is situated in Buffalo, New York
Career
Irene Banerjee was the accountant for the Chippendales company, which was established in 1979 by Paul Snider and his spouse. The club became renowned in no time for its exotic male dancing, choreography, and costumes that were unlike anything else.
The Chippendales broke new ground with their idea of male stripping, providing a novel form of adult entertainment that was mainly for female audiences.
The dancers are renowned for their toned bodies, charm, and allure. They typically don a unique costume which includes a bow tie, shirt sleeves, and fitted slacks, usually with their torsos revealed.
Chippendales started to become well-known in the 1980s and 1990s, beginning with its origin in Los Angeles, USA. The brand became a global sensation with its traveling performances and outlets in a variety of cities all over the world. Chippendales has held shows in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the U.K.
However, the Chippendales brand was unfortunately surrounded by several controversial and legal matters. In 1994, Steve Banerjee, one of the creators, was charged with attempting to hire someone to kill his former business partner, Nick De Noia. He was convicted of the crime and sadly passed away by suicide while in prison.
Following Steve’s sudden demise, Irene became the sole owner of Chippendales Company. She chose not to take an active role in management but instead cashed out, selling the group for an impressive $2.5 million. This sound financial move caused more problems for the Banerjee family to endure.
Irene Banerjee’s Net Worth
Irene inherited the entirety of the Chippendales estate after her husband’s passing, which included all of its riches, funds, and properties. In 2000, it is said she sold the estate for $2.5 million and had a net worth of $1 million at the time of her death a year later.
What happened to Irene Banerjee?
Despite her valiant efforts and treatments to fight breast cancer, she sadly passed away on February 8, 2001, at the age of 44. Her departure caused a deep emptiness in the hearts of her two children, Lindsay and Christian Banerjee, and all those who were close to her.
