French Billionaire Olivier Dassault Dies In Helicopter Crash

Olivier Dassault, a French lawmaker and son of deceased aviation billionaire Serge Dassault, died in a helicopter crash.

08 Mar 2021, 11:17 AM IST

An Indian Air Force Dassault Rafale fighter jet performs a flying display on Oct. 8, 2020. (Photographer: T. Narayan/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- Olivier Dassault, a French lawmaker and son of deceased aviation billionaire Serge Dassault, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter, calling it a “great loss” to the country.

“Olivier Dassault loved France. Captain of industry, deputy, local elected official, reserve commander in the air force: during his life, he never ceased to serve our country,” Macron said.

The 69-year-old was the 12th richest person in France with a net worth of $7.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His grandfather, Marcel Dassault, was a World War I aircraft-designer who founded an aviation empire. Olivier worked within the family firm before becoming a lawmaker for the conservative Les Republicains party in 2002.

The helicopter crashed near Deauville on the northwestern coast of France, the AFP reported.