Claude Guillemot, co-founder of French video game publisher Ubisoft and chairman of Guillemot Corporation, has died in a plane crash.
Ubisoft confirmed the death in a statement on Saturday, saying it was "deeply saddened" by the loss and that its thoughts were with his family and loved ones.
Guillemot died on Friday evening when a twin-engine Cessna 421 crashed in La Baule, a seaside resort town on France's Atlantic coast that had been due to host an air show over the weekend.
La Baule mayor Franck Louvrier told ICI that witnesses saw the plane bank sharply before crashing as it approached the town's airport.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Louvrier said Guillemot had been accompanied by a flight instructor.
Claude Guillemot, co-founder of French video game publisher Ubisoft and chairman of Guillemot Corporation, has died in a plane crash. He was 69.
Ubisoft confirmed the death in a statement on Saturday, saying it was "deeply saddened" by the loss and that its thoughts were with his family and loved ones. The company added that no further statements would be made at this time.
Guillemot died on Friday evening when a twin-engine Cessna 421 crashed in La Baule, a seaside resort town on France's Atlantic coast that had been due to host an air show over the weekend. According to the French news network ICI, the aircraft came down shortly before 6pm local time. Two people were on board, and both were killed.
La Baule mayor Franck Louvrier told ICI that witnesses saw the plane bank sharply before crashing as it approached the town's airport. In a statement to the Associated Press, Louvrier said Guillemot had been accompanied by a flight instructor.
Guillemot founded Ubisoft with his four brothers in 1986, helping to grow the business from a mail-order software operation into one of the world's largest video game publishers, known for franchises including Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and Rayman. While his brother Yves Guillemot became Ubisoft's long-serving chief executive and public face, Claude worked largely behind the scenes, later taking on the chairmanship of Guillemot Corporation, the family's separate hardware and accessories business behind brands such as Hercules and Thrustmaster.
He held a master's degree in economic science from the University of Rennes.
