(Reuters) – Conservative billionaire politician Olivier Dassault was killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter.
Dassault, 69, was the eldest son of French billionaire industrialist Serge Dassault, whose group builds Rafale’s warplanes and owns the newspaper Le Figaro.
“Olivier Dassault loved France. Captain of industry, legislator, local elected official, reserve commander in the air force: during his life, he never stopped serving our country to value its assets. His sudden death is a great loss. Thoughts on his family and loved ones, ”Macron said on Twitter.
The private helicopter crashed Sunday afternoon in Normandy, where it has a holiday home, according to a police source.
A member of the Conservative party Les Republicains since 2002, Dassault was considered the 361th richest man in the world alongside his two brothers and sisters, according to the 2020 Forbes Rich List.
He left his role on the Dassault board because of his political role in avoiding any conflict of interest.
Olivier, seen as the favorite of founder Marcel, was once considered favored to succeed Serge at the head of the family holding company, but that role fell to former Dassault Aviation CEO Charles Edelstenne.
“Great sadness at the news of the sudden disappearance of Olivier Dassault,” Valerie Pecresse, a conservative politician who is president of the Paris region, said on Twitter.
“An entrepreneur, but also a renowned photographer, he had a passion for politics in the blood, rooted in his department in Oise. My warm thoughts to your family. “
Reports from Bhargav Acharya to Bengaluru; Edited by William Maclean and Catherine Evans