Scion of Dassault group, the maker of Rafale war planes, dies in chopper crash

Olivier Dassault (C) and his wife Natacha attend the funeral ceremony of his father, late French industrialist Serge Dassault at the Cathedral Saint-Louis of the Invalides in Paris, France, June 1, 2018. REUTERS/Charles Platiau - RC13579DC6E0

Olivier Dassault, billionaire and head of France’s Dassault Group, was killed in a helicopter crash on March 7, police sources said. He was 69.

The sources said that Dassault’s private helicopter crashed in Normandy, where he has a holiday home, in the afternoon on March 7. The pilot was also killed.

Sources told AFP that the helicopter crashed near Deauville at about 6 pm local time and no one else apart from Dassault and his pilot were aboard.

France’s civil aviation authority investigators in a tweet said the AS350 Écureuil helicopter had crashed “on take-off" from private land.

Olivier was the eldest son of late billionaire Serge Dassault and heir to the Dassault Group that holds Dassault Aviation, which manufactures the Rafale war planes, and owns Le Figaro newspaper.

In 2020, Forbes listed Dassault, his two brothers and sister, as the 361st richest in the world with a wealth of 6 billion euros ($7.15 billion)—largely inherited.

French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Dassault, who was also a conservative politician, a part of the country’s Les Republicains party since 2002. He was elected to the National Assembly (French lower house of Parliament) in 2002 and represented the Oise area of northern France.

He had stepped off the Dassault board to avoid conflict of interest with his political role.

In a Twitter post, Macron said: “Olivier Dassault loved France. Captain of industry, lawmaker, local elected official, and reserve commander in the air force: during his life, he never ceased to serve our country, to value its assets. His sudden death is a great loss. Thoughts on his family and loved ones.”

Valerie Pecresse, a conservative politician who is president of the Paris region also condoled his death on Twitter, saying: "Great sadness at the news of the sudden passing of Olivier Dassault. A businessman, but also a renowned photographer, he had a passion for politics in his blood, rooted in his department of Oise. My warm thoughts to his family."

Among others who spoke included Richard Ferrand, president of the National Assembly, who said: "I am thinking of his family and loved ones who must feel terrible pain."

Dassault is survived by his wife and three children, the BBC reported.