French billionaire Olivier Dassault died in helicopter crash



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O. Dassault, 69, who had three children, died around 6 p.m. In local time (7 p.m. Lithuania), a helicopter crashed near the luxurious resort of Deauville in northern France, sources told parliament and agencies research AFP.

Expressing his condolences, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on Twitter: “Olivier Dassault loved France. He was an industrialist, a deputy, commander of the Air Force Reserve; he has served our country tirelessly all his life. “

Macron called his death a “great loss” and sent a letter of condolences to the Dassault family, one of the most influential in France and with interests in the aeronautics, defense and media sectors, as well as the wine industry. and auctions.

Photo by Olivier Dassault / SCANPIX

Photo by Olivier Dassault / SCANPIX

Dassault Aviation has been one of the leading French aircraft manufacturers for the past 70 years. It is known for aircraft such as the business class Falcon and Mirage fighter, and has recently become famous for its modern Rafale fighter jets.

According to Forbes magazine, last year O. Dassault ranked 361 on the list of the richest people in the world; its assets were worth $ 5 billion. pretty much the same as his two brothers and sisters.

Famous family

France’s national aviation accident investigation agency, BEA, told Twitter that the crash took place as soon as the helicopter took off from “private territory.”

On Sunday, the weather in Deauville was sunny and windless.

Sources familiar with the course of the investigation indicated that the helicopter pilot also died and that no one was flying at the same time.

Prosecutors have filed a case of involuntary murder.

O. Dassault’s grandfather was the famous aviation engineer Marcel Bloch, who changed his name to “Dassault.”

“I’m thinking of your family members and loved ones who are probably in terrible pain,” said Richard Ferrand, head of the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, where Dassault represented the Oasis of northern France.

Dassault’s grandfather was the famous aviation engineer Marcel Bloch, who changed his name to “Dassault.”

After helping develop an innovative propeller used by French aircraft during World War I, Marcel was imprisoned during World War II and sent to a Nazi concentration camp for refusing to cooperate with the German aviation industry.

Olivier’s father Serge took control of Dassault Aviation but did not name a successor to replace him before he died in 2018 of a heart attack in his Paris office.

Olivier was once declared the “most qualified” of Serge’s four sons, and his father vigorously publicly rebuked him for making the statement.

He appeared to be about to take over, but shortly before his father’s death, he resigned as chairman of the group’s supervisory council, claiming that this role was incompatible with his job in parliament.

Many of O. Dassault’s conservative colleagues paid tribute to the late, who was also a passionate music photographer, pilot, and composer.

The Dassault family owns not only a majority stake in the group of aircraft manufacturers, but also its own vineyard in the Bordeaux region and the influential right-wing newspaper Le Figaro.



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