Alexandre Bordes was born on December 7, 1860 in Valparaíso, Chile, where his father Antoine Dominique was a shipowner. In 1878, he was associated with his brothers in the company, which was transformed in 1883 into the Ant. Dom. Bordes and sons, then MM. Bordes company. On the death of his older brother Adolphe, he headed the "Compagnie française d'armament de d'importation de nitrate de soude".